By Musa Tanimu Nasidi.
The Deputy Majority Leader, House of Representatives and member representing Lokoja-Kogi Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Umar Buba Jibril has declared that a Bill for an Act to regulate the operations of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria, which he sponsored is not meant to witch hunt anyone but to regulate the fraudulent activities of some of the NGOs and other excesses.
Buba who made the declaration in an interview with journalists in Lokoja, explained that many NGOs operating in the country do not have definite reason for being in existence other than using their names to fleece international donors agencies of huge sums of money on behalf of Nigeria.
The lawmaker pointed out that some of these NGOs registered in Nigeria by Nigerians will solicit for funds only to disappear after receiving grants from donors agencies, instead of using the money for the benefits of Nigerians.
According to him, the Bill which has passed second reading has come to stay. He challenged those that were calling on the youths to protest to come out and present their reasons why they are against the bill.
“We are aware of self motivated and selfish moves by a faceless organizations in Kogi State which threatened to organized a protest against the NGO Regulatory Bill. I am not afraid as there is no going back until the bill becomes law. My colleagues and I will not be intimidated
“You will recall that some of the NGOs solicited funds on behalf of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East and made away with all they got and you expected us to folds our arms and allow these fraudulent activities to continue,” he said.
He said it no longer news that some of the NGOs solicit for funds from donor agencies all over the world and collect billions of dollars on behalf of innocent Nigerians without being answerable to any authority in Nigeria where they operate.
He maintained further that NGOs with questionable backgrounds are fond of recruiting expatriates to help them run their activities in the country and use them in perpetrating fraud and other abuses.
“Many of the NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have shied away from reasons they were set up in which case, they are supposed to operate as voluntary organisations and registered to partner with the government, essentially to fill gaps between the government and the governed.
“NGOs and CSOs are supposed to be partners in progress with the Government, whereas their failure to fulfill this role had necessitated the creation of a commission to regulate their activities and whip them into line.”
The NGO Bill, he said, is primarily to set up a commission to regulate their activities of all the NGOs and provide a platform for robust relationships between them and the government in the interest of Nigerians.
He explained further that the Bill it is to ensure transparency and accountability in the ways and manners the NGOs collect moneys and use them for Nigerians.
