It is a commendable effort that Prof Chidi Odikalu, a former boss of the National Human Rights Commission, under the platform of Nigerian Bar Association came out to enlighten Nigerians 0n the attempt by the National Assembly to further silence the entire civil society groups in the country on freedom of association and expression in demanding good governance from our leaders through a draconian bill on regulation of operation of the NGOs in the country. To add my own voice to this crusade in this regard towards ensuring that all Nigerians rise to challenge the impending draconian bill as concerned and patriotic citizens, I hereby posit as follows: Any attempt to gag Nigerians from peaceful protests for a better Nigeria will be tantamount to violent protests with growing disappointment and anger arising from bad leadership we have been experiencing over time from the government, especially the National Assembly.
Before now, I had earlier written a rejoinder published in The PUNCH some years ago about how to properly regulate the running of non-governmental organisations to especially guard against abuse of the NGOs especially for those who are in the habit of abusing grants and donations given to them and for not living up to expectation of what such grants given, especially from foreign countries, were meant for.
I also I posited that there must be a different body from the Corporate Affairs Commission to supersive the NGOs and register them as well, hence it is for non-profit making. And coming to tell us that it is about checking the sponsorship of terror groups through money laundering via the NGOs is unacceptable as it is an attempt to paint a dog with a bad name in order to have it hanged.
I am not surprised as our lawmakers have always been looking for a means to gag the people against protesting their malfeasance. They tried muzzling and emasculating us via the discredited social media bill but the whole Nigerian rose and rejected the same hence, the recent draconian bill on the NGOs. Why take away our entire freedom by telling us we need licence to associate and air our views? You cannot spank a child without it crying, especially when the pain is getting hotter. Even, they tell us that even though you are a registered NGO, you still need licence to carry out your operation as a civil society group. This has been the bane of genuine NGOs committed to improved welfare of poor Nigerians as such NGOs even hardly get registered by the CAC when they see that you are a radical and anti-government. Because of these, there are so many NGOs operating as either pressure groups and self-determination groups that are not registered in the first place as the United Nations Charter allows it.
Even when the National Conscience Party led by Chief Gani Fawehinmi applied for registration, he was denied for many years for his unusual radical stance towards a better Nigerian nation. It was not until he sued the government before his party and others became registered. So, coming now with a draconian bill against the NGOs will amount to a serious war against the citizens. And also will encourage more violent groups like Boko Haram and the rest to become harder with their hostilities of which poor people have always been at the receiving end.
I think the federal lawmakers are taking the docility of Nigerians for granted for not challenging them well enough for their poor performance to think about this draconian bill so that the few people challenging them for their corruption and bad governance will no longer have the means to do so. They could not succeed in muzzling the masses’ voices with their social media bill, now the next is to totally emasculate fundamental human rights of Nigerians to express and associate in protecting their interests. It is very barbaric of the lawmakers to have thought about this bill in the first instance after we rose to condemn their amnesty bill for treasury looters. I rest my case.
Emeka Anozie, Adegbola Street, Ikeja, Lagos
08099813898
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