NASS attempting to gag CSOs with NGO bill – Oyebode

A professor of International Law and Jurisprudence at the University of Lagos, Akin Oyebode, has condemned the Non-Governmental Organisation bill being considered by the National Assembly.
According to him, the bill is nothing but an attempt to silence civil society organisations, which have been holding the government to account.
Oyebode rejected the argument that the NGO bill was meant to check corruption among NGOs.
The don spoke at a round-table for mobilising mass action against corruption in the country.
The programme, which held in Ikeja, Lagos, was organised by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy.
Oyebode, who was the guest speaker, delivered a paper, titled “Strategies for mobilizing mass action to demand anti-corruption reforms and an end to impunity for grand corruption in Nigeria.”
He said, “The recent attempt by the National Assembly, with the NGO bill, to control, monitor and eventually sequester the CSOs, all because of the excuse that some CSOs are corrupt, should not be allowed. Cutting off the head is not the cure for headache; the bill is overkill. If they cage organisations like SERAP, who will fight for the masses? The government does not want anybody to act as impediment to their thievery activities.
“Corruption is now thriving more than ever before, despite the ongoing fight against it. However, international law has really helped with a plethora of laws against corruption, it now behoves on citizens to take advantage of this laws to fight against corruption.”
The done said except something drastic was done, corruption would eventually “result in the mortality of Nigeria as a nation state.”
Oyebode said the anti-corruption fight must be owned by the people to rout the scourge.
“The people must be enlisted in the war against corruption. Nigerians should start anti-corruption clubs in schools, radio jingles should be put in place to fight corruption, carry placards, go outside, organise sit-ins like SERAP is doing presently; Nigerians should be mobilised against corruption and now take their destiny in their hands. The fight should not be left alone to organiasations like SERAP and when the state wants to attack organisations like SERAP, the masses should fight for them.”
Also speaking at the programme, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), decried lawyers who, he said, were “terrorising our courts and judges,” in order to frustrate high-profile corruption cases.
“We must get our judges to take charge of their courts,” Falana said.