NGOs can’t intimidate us, says Dogara

Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, says the national assembly will not allow intimidation from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Speaking when the house resumed from seven-week recess, the speaker said there is a “desperate attempt” to instigate religious bodies to work against the bill to regulate NGOs

The bill sponsored by Umar Jibril, deputy majority leader of the house of representatives, has been generating controversies, with some saying it is an attempt to clamp down on different organisations.

But Dogara said the legislation is “to inject transparency, accountability and prevent the subversion of national security from both within and without”.

“There are desperate attempts to instigate religious bodies and cultural organisations to oppose the bill by spreading falsehood that they are the target of this bill,” he said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state once again that churches, mosques, esussu, market women associations as well as local quasi-financial institutions are not NGOs and thus the bill has nothing to do with their operations.

“The national assembly cannot be intimidated into abandoning its sacred legislative duties of providing a platform for Nigerians to agree or disagree on any proposed legislative measure.

“This openness and transparency is what the NGOs have always canvassed and promoted and they should, therefore, embrace this opportunity to interrogate the issues with open arms.”

Dogara also told his colleagues to sift through the noise and find out what the people want on restructuring.

He said at the end of the day, all the arguments on restructuring are legislative issues.