Groups protest against regulation bill at National Assembly

Samson Toromade 14:13 - 13 December 2017

The protesters were prevented from gaining access to the National Assembly complex by the security operatives.

Civil society groups and Non-Governmental Organisations marched down to the National Assembly to register their discontent with the proposed passage of a bill thatll establish a

The protest took place while the House of Representatives Committee on Civil Society was holding a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday, December 13, 2017.

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NGO Regulation Bill

The bill proposes to create an NGO Regulatory Commission which will be headed by an Executive Secretary appointed by the president for five years and a 17-member governing board, led by a chairman.

The board will possess the powers to licence all NGOs before they can commence operations, a licence that has to be renewed every 24 months.

The organisations must also submit reports of where they are getting money from and how much, as well as secure the board's permission before spending any money received.

If passed into law, any violation of the bill is a crime punishable with up to 18 months in prison.