Legislator Explains NASS Position On NGO Regulation Bill

The Deputy Majority Leader of the Federal House of Representative, Nigeria, Hon. Umar Buba Jibril has cleared the air on the recent NGO Regulation Bill to allay the fears of concerned Nigerians over what many have described as callous and outrageous conditions meant to stifle the humanitarian work of good Nigerians.

According to a Press Statement signed on Friday, 22^nd September, the legislator explained through that the bill is to check the excesses of some callous and fraudulent NGOs that collected funds for North East IDPs and disappeared.  

The noted that “Churches, Mosques, Esusu, Market Women Associations are not affected” and that “religious bodies and organizations are NOT NGOs.  Our quasi financial institutions at local levels are NOT NGOs! These organizations have existed for centuries to serve businesses and commerce of our market women and traders.”

“Now NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and CSOs(Civil Society Organizations) are voluntary organizations that are registered to partner Government at all levels to fill gaps wherever they exist. They are supposed to be partners in progress with the Government; therefore the need for a commission to serve this purpose arises.  Secondly and naturally for them to carry out their activities, the NGOs and CSOs solicit for funds from all over the World and collect billions of naira on behalf of Nigerians! Thirdly they recruit expatriates to help them run their activities in the country with lots of abuses

e.t.c”, explained Jibril.

Speaking further, he chided that “recent developments have shown that some people registered NGOs, especially in the North East solicited for funds and disappeared while others some NGOs are used to fund the activities of terrorist and insurgents!”

“The NGOs bill therefore is primarily to set up a commission to regulate their activities and provide a platform for robust relationships between them and the government for the interests of Nigerians”, said he, adding that it is to ensure transparency and accountability in the ways and manners the NGOs collect moneys and use them for Nigerians.”

“The NGOs bill is not new or peculiar to Nigeria. It exists in many countries particularly in the ECOWAS sub- region and all over Africa and other continents. In Europe, Israel passed theirs last year! Kenya has a similar law since 1990! Nigeria is and should not be a banana republic where anything goes.”

Jibril condemned the outburst of Nigerians to the NGO Regulatory bill, particularly SERAP, describing it as shameful but condemnable.

“The Nigerian parliament is an institution governed by rules and traditions. When a bill is for public hearing you go there and present your views like other interested Nigerians and invited cooperate bodies and government agencies for the standing committee to do justice to the bill. Going on cheap propaganda and blackmail and even calling on World bodies including the United Nation to help you withdraw a bill from our National Assembly will not help you!” he warned.