NASS ‘ll strangle NGOs with proposed bill — LEPAN

NASS ‘ll strangle NGOs with proposed bill — LEPAN

ON October 9, 2017 2:19 AM / IN News / BY
Ugoh Solomon Chinonso
By Bose Adelaja
A civil rights group, League of Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria, LEPAN, has condemned move by the National Assembly to regulate the activities and operations of non-governmental organisations, NGO, in the country.

                                 NASS
LEPAN said the proposed move by the National Assembly to set up a regulatory body to monitor the activities of NGOs was a mere duplication of roles, which is already being performed by well-established government agencies.
National President of the group, Chukwudi Anyawuocha, in a statement yesterday, said: “If the operational efficiencies of NGOs are to be kept optimally, the bill should fail.
“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.
“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.
“On the basis of the above, it is our opinion that the proposed bill fails abysmally. These are crucial tests of democratic principles and operational efficiency. It is on these sacred issues therefore, that constitute our point of divergence from the bill.”