National Assembly Cautioned Against Passage of NGO Regulatory Bill

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A Non-Governmental Organisation based in Kwara State, Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), has urged the National Assembly to have a rethink the NGO Regulatory Bill in order to save the country from its negative effects on the masses.

The National Assembly is currently considering the enactment of an Act to provide for the Establishment of NGO Regulatory Commission.

The bill which would supervise, coordinate and monitor NGOs and CSOs had gone through first and second readings and is presently at the committee phase at the House of Representatives.

A key issue that the Bill seeks to introduce is a new form of registration where the Board will have powers to license all NGOs.

Without the license of the Board, no NGO can operate. This is proposed by the Bill, notwithstanding extant laws regulating all aspects of the operations of voluntary organisations.

However, speaking in Ilorin, yesterday, on the sidelines of the sensitisation programme on gender justice and inclusiveness policy dialogue organised for people of Kwara Central Senatorial District at Adewole Ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state, the team lead of BBYDI, Mrs. Bashirah Abdulganiyu, stated that the bill if passed into law would affect the activities of NGOs in the country.

She said the current challenges in the country need the support of the non- governmental organisations so as to advance the needs and support of all and sundry.

She stated since the government cannot do it alone, hence there is need to have private sector to contribute to growth and development of the society.

She called on the representatives of the state at the national assembly to reject the idea of enacting a bill to regulate the activities of non-governmental organisations in the country.

Mrs. Abdulganiyu however noted further that placing more priority on a gender above the other is against the principles of justice and fairness.

According to her, parents should do away with the old fashion that place the male child above the female gender.

Mrs. Abdulganiyu said every child, irrespective of his gender, should be allowed to enjoy his right to education, and good moral upbringing among others.

In their presentation, the resource persons, Oluwadamilola Bamidele and Aisha Masu’d advised that the female child should be given the opportunity to acquire quality education.

They called on the youth to inculcate the habit of learning a trade or vocation while in school to make them self-reliant.

The duo urged parents to give equal rights to both male and female children in the interest of fairness and justice.

In her own presentation on Digital Rights and Gender Justice, Mrs. Rahma Aliyu, urged women to exercise caution in using internet and other social media handles.

She advised the elderly to reject temptation of giving out their secret datas to outsiders to prevent being defrauded by unsuspecting criminals.

Earlier in his address, the Alangua of Adewole Ward, in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Hannafi Hussain, expressed joy on the initiative to organise the program.

He advised the facilitators of the programme to remain committed to their duties and work hard to ensure its success