SAN FRANCISCO, July 02, (THEWILL) – The National Planning Commission (NPC) Wednesday cautioned the House of Representatives against usurping its powers to assign the roles of monitoring and regulating the activities of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as against the NPC establishment Act of 2003.
NPC Executive Secretary, Ntufan Fidel Ugbo, who represented the supervising minister, gave the warning at a one-day public hearing on a bill for an Act to Regulate the Acceptance And Utilisation Of Financial/Material Contribution Of Donor Agencies to Voluntary Organisation And For Matters Connected Therewith – organised by the House Committee on Civil Society and Donor Agencies in Abuja.
He said the regulation and monitoring of activities involving NGOs and CSOs has been the responsibility of the NPC in line with section 71 of the NPC Act of 2003.
According to him, the Commission’s mandate also include the monitoring of the influx and utilisation of cash donations from foreign development partners to NGOs and CSOs in the country which have played a role in the nation’s development efforts in the last 60 years.
“Foreign donations have played a role in our development for over six decades even though marginally. The funds as well as activities of their beneficiaries have always been regulated by us.
“In our administration of Official Development Assistance (ODA), we always ensure that whatever is received is in line with our developmental aspiration as a country,” he said.
While declaring open the event, Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who was represented by the Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, (PDP, Delta), urged participants to take advantage of the hearing to speak out as primary beneficiaries of the law if passed.
“It is important that the Civil Societies speak today as primary beneficiaries of the Bill. It is either you speak for it or against it. Whatever the stand you take would be reflected in the outcome of the bill when passed. So, this is an opportunity you all need to make the most of,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ini Udoka (PDP,Akwa Ibom) stated that the bill if passed into law would streamline activities in the sub-sector by ensuring that donor agencies do not give out monies to organisations, parastatals and agencies without due consultation with relevant government authorities.
“The bill aims at empowering the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) being a regulatory authority to monitor the disbursement of funds from donor agencies for effective implementation of targeted projects,” he said.
Sponsor of the bill, Hon. Eddie Mbadiwe (PDP, Imo), had earlier highlighted the importance of the bill to NGOs and CSOs in the country, saying they stand to benefit immensely from the law if passed.
“The voluntary organisations will be the greatest beneficiaries of this bill if passed, because there have been complaints overtime of NGOs receiving monies from foreign donors without using such monies for the purposes they were received,” he said.
He added that, “people have gone out to collect monies on behalf of widows and orphans and fail to disburse these monies accordingly which puts this country in a very bad light.”
He added: “ Some times, you travel abroad and you are even ashamed of identifying yourself as a Nigerian because of the activities of some NGOs and CSOs.”
SAINT MUGAGA, ABUJA
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