Again, Bill to regulate CSOs suffers defeat at House of Reps

TRACKING____…sponsor bows to pressure, steps bill down

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

For the second time in parliament, a bill seeking to regulate activities of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs through a commission has suffered a fatal defeat and was eventually stepped down by the Sponsor, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen from Kaduna State (APC).

The Bill titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish Civil Societies Regulatory Commission for Coordinated Regulation of Civil Society Organizations for the Purposes of Strengthening their Capacities to Promote Democracy and Development in the Country, and for Related Matters (HB.722)” was seeking to be read for the second time at the House of Representatives yesterday.

But hardly had the lawmaker moved and canvassed support for the passage of the bill than a flurry of counter remarks ensued from some members of the House.

First to open the debate against the bill was Hon. Salam Bamidele from Osun who cited Sections 38 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to him, the passage of the bill will result in the muzzling of free speech, saying it was against the spirit of the constitution.

He said: “The proposed civil Society regulatory commission is an attempt to muzzle free speech and subject CSOs to needless monitoring which is against the spirit of the 1999 constitution.

“The parliament is the bastion of democracy and supposed to protect citizens rights and promote civil liberty.

“There are enough laws to regulate the activities of all organisations such as the Corporate and Allied Matters Act.

“It is also not efficient at a time like this to duplicate agencies and commissions when we should rather be cutting down on the cost of governance”, he said.

But Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila drew his attention to section 45 of the constitution, saying that the provisions he cited were not independently absolute.

He said that the envisaged grew areas would be taken care of at the Committee stage during the public hearing.

But Bamidele insisted that the bill was not in the best interest of the country.

Leaving off on his submission, Hon. Nkem Abonta from Abia State picks up from there, calling the attention of the Speaker to the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution.

He said that the constitution was the grundnorm and such should not be tampered with.

He added that there were already enough laws on the ground to checkmate the excesses of the CSOs.

Abonta arguments were later to be strengthened by Hon. Julius Ihonvbere from Edo State.

Dissecting the implications of the bill, the lawmaker said that it was not necessary to allow it pass, saying it would gag the CSOs.

Similarly, another lawmaker, Hon. Herman Hembe who was recognized by the Speaker added that the bill shut is totally shutdown.

He said that “Any attempt to allow this bill to scale through second reading will send a negative signal”.

Amidst the deafening superior arguments with no supporting contributions from the floor, the sponsor, Tajudeen raised his hands.

Recognized by the Speaker for his right of reply, he hurried stepped down the bill.

The development, however, attracted applause from the House.

It will be recalled that the Bill was first introduced in the 8th Assembly by former Deputy majority leader, late Hon. Buba Jubril of the APC.

It passed for second reading but was shut down by Nigerians and CSOs at the public hearing.

Incidentally, Tajudeen also saw the need to reintroduce it in the 9th House, yet the same fate has apparently befallen the bill.