Rights groups condemn NGO Bill

Human rights organisations have condemned the bill for the regulation of non-governmental organisations.

The Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) and the Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) described the bill sponsored by Rep. Umar Buba Jubril as intended to cripple fundamental freedoms and democratic values that NGO’s and civil society in Nigeria uphold.

In a statement, the executive director of CURE, Sylvester Uhaa, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to reject the bill whenever it is presented to him.

“No civil society can survive under the stringent and suffocating provisions of the bill so the bill is meant to eliminate civil society in Nigeria so that elected officials can have their way out without anyone holding them to account,” he said.

The executive director of CASER, Frank Tietie, wondered why politicians who have since 1960 foisted poverty on the citizenry, would want to compound the situation of the poor masses.

“Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have greatly assuaged the sufferings, pains and hopelessness that have resulted from corruption and mis-governance by the public service at all levels,” he said.

He called on NGO leaders like Chidi Odinkalu, Eze Onyekpere, Clement Nwankwo, Auwal Rafsanjani, Otive Igbuzor and a host of others “to deploy their influence and social capital by beginning political movements that would emancipate the people from the throes of insensitive politicians who populate the National Assembly with ineptitude and obsolescence.”