Leading figures from the Nigerian and global academia, media, civil society, law and multi-national organizations from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America on Thursday called on Nigeria to withdraw the NGO Regulatory Commission Bill currently being considered by the National Assembly (federal parliament).
In a statement, the 54 signatories point out that the Bill “is clearly intended to encourage the excesses of bad government”. They argue that the Bill endangers constitutional guarantees of freedom of association, assembly, speech and even of freedom of conscience and religion and “will license unconstitutional discrimination too.”
The statement recalled that “NGOs have been integral to Nigeria’s democratization”, noting that “because of the sacrifices and leadership of NGOs in confronting years of military misrule, members of the National Assembly can have the benefits and powers they enjoy today.”
The signatories concluded that the NGO Regulation Bill is “a distraction, a threat to Nigeria’s hard-won democracy and a dis-incentive to investment at a time that the country need it. It is both insensitive and unconscionable.”
To Nigeria’s National Assembly, they offer the suggestion that “this is the time for the Nigerian National Assembly to prioritize the serious business of the people by helping the country get out of its current difficulties. If it chooses this path, it will find willing and enthusiastic partners in Nigeria’s vibrant civil society and NGO community.”
