Unhappy with NGO bill, LEPAN vows to mobilise Nigerians against Reps

The League of Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria has said that the bill currently before the National Assembly, which seeks to regulate Non-Governmental Organisations in the country must not be allowed to succeed.

LEPAN, which stated this in a statement signed by its president, Chukwudi Anyawuocha, vowed to mobilise Nigerians to oppose the passage of the bill.

While LEPAN, a group of professionals, which boast of being “irrevocably committed to the advancement of the socio-political order of the country” noted that it was not against regulation of NGOs, it however argued that any such ammendment must be in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The group’s statement read in part, “Having shown keen interests in the developments around the polity through active participation, we view the above-named bill before the National Assembly seeking to regulate NGOs in the country with utmost concern.

“We have waited this long to study the said bill with the view to making informed and objective decisions as regards the contentious provisions in the document presently under the consideration of the National Assembly.

“Having thoroughly studied and listened to stakeholders including some of the sponsor(s) of the bill in the House of Representatives, especially Hon Umar Jibril (Deputy Majority leader) and other members of the National Assembly, as well as leading voices within civil society, we, as a group, have arrived at a clear position on the controversy.

“We must make it absolutely clear at this point that we are in no way against regulation of NGOs. We have, as progressives, nothing against accountability in NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

“In fact, given our longstanding commitment to transparency and accountability, we welcome every effort that can help sanitize civil society and facilitate principled and impactful delivery of services, but only as long as they are well within the sacred principles that undergird our fundamental freedoms as detailed in the 1999 Constitution, and in line with global best practices.

“We also believe that given our level of political development, any sweeping legislation of this nature must also as a matter of genuine pragmatism factor in the peculiarities associated with a challenged political system like the existence of a corrupt, exploitative and stultifying bureaucracy, and the rampant abuse of power manifest in far-reaching calculated attempts at targeting and silencing critical voices.

“On the basis of the above, it is our considered opinion that the proposed bill fails, abysmally, these crucial tests of democratic principles and operational efficiency. It is on these sacred issues therefore that constitute our point of divergence from the bill.

“Firstly, we are worried at what now seems like an unfortunate national habit of avoiding the demanding and painstaking but important process of ensuring that existing institutions and laws fulfil their optimum objectives, and choosing instead to create new institutions and laws as if by mere duplication or multiplication, the underlying problem of dysfunctional systems would be fixed. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

LEPAN feared that the bill with its provision to establish a new centralised commission to regulate NGOs and its many fall-outs expressed in the supporting provisions, epitomises Nigeria’s dysfunctional systems.

“For one, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and all existing anti-corruption agencies, as well as the security agencies and the courts, all already uniquely guarantee substantial levels of external regulation.

“The bill, however well-intended, is thus another example of seeking to better a system by merely duplicating the layers of its regulatory framework instead of strengthening existing instruments. This is a very flawed assumption which unfortunately holds very dire consequences in this case.

“More so, we strongly believe that the powers granted the government in the proposed legislation via the planned new commission would be subject to abuse. By their nature, civil society groups can run counter to political interests in a bid to better the lot of people in the country.

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“We are concerned that with the government having the power and leverage to loosely and likely arbitrarily grant renewable licenses, as well as determine which NGO will be registered or deregistered, a new era of tight government, nay political, control of civil society is upon us. This, perhaps, we must admit is our worst fear. This cannot be allowed to stand!

“The central defence of this bill from the legislators has been the need to promote transparency and accountability. It is curious that an institution that embodies the very opposite of these principles can so boldly and without any sense of irony, lay claim to such a mission.

“Nigerians have continued to demand that legislators reveal their full monthly and annual earnings for years to no avail. Maybe if the legislators can lead by example by yielding to this very basic expectation which is a given in more advanced climes, many Nigerians will not always read sinister motives into their claims.

“In the meantime, we have concluded plans to attend the public hearing for this bill while we mobilise support across the country against its passage,” LEPAN said.

 

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