The Non-Governmental Organisation Regulatory Commission Bill on Wednesday was opposed by stakeholders at a House of Representatives public hearing organised to deliberate on it.

The bill failed to gather any support as civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations spoke against it.

What the bill is about:

The bill seeks to supervise, monitor and coordinate the activities of civil society organisations (CSOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs).

What the stakeholders said:

Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of the Nigeria Human Rights Commission and one of the leader campaigners against the bill, had described it as “totalitarian”.

Osai, director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, also said if passed into law, the bill would erode the fundamental rights of many Nigerians, including the freedom of speech and association.

“Sections 11, 13 and 24 of the bill limits how people and individuals organise themselves in various groups and it seeks to get NGOs have their activities dictated by the whims and caprices of the government,” she said.

At the end of the hearing, Peter Akpatason, chairman of the committee, said it will ensure submissions of the various NGOs are “well represented.”

He said: “We are your partners and our responsibility is to provide enabling environment and right platform for the CSOs to participate in the process of governance.

“We do not have the final say over this bill but I want to assure you that we will make our recommendations based on all you have said here and you will be pleased with our recommendations.”

Azeez