The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) applauded the House of Representatives particularly Hon. Tajudeen Abbas for consenting to the voice of the masses and dropping the controversial Civil Society Regulatory Commission Bill, 2020.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, the effort is quite commendable and shows that the members of the House of Representatives have a listening ear and are ready to consider the developmental impact of their decisions on the masses.
Auwal said ‘we would like to mention here that there is no need to establish a commission for regulation of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) as they are already regulated by a number of existing laws and agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which ensures non-profit funds are subjected to appropriate taxes and exemptions; the Financial Reporting Council which ensures that audit reports produced by non-profits are in line with the International Financial Reporting Standards and that auditors providing services to the sector are doing the right thing; and the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) which ensures compliance with anti-money laundering regulations’.
He urged members of the National Assembly to extend this gesture to other controversial bills- the Social Media Bill, 2019, the Hate Speech Prohibition Bill, 2019 and the National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches Bill, 2019.
According to the Director, the aforementioned bills leave a lot in the air with frightening ambiguity, violates the enshrined constitutional rights to freedom of expression and infringement on the rights of citizens.
He further advised that the National Assembly should concentrate more on the legal frameworks and processes that will contribute to the developmental agenda, curbing corruption and promoting transparency and accountability in governance while reiterating their willing support to the legislature in ensuring good governance in the country as partners in development.
