National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has reacted to the Presidential assent of the bill amending the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004.
In a recent interview, Secondus condemned the signing of the bill into law, saying that a government as corrupt as the Buhari administration cannot regulate church activities. The PDP leader advised the government to focus on more pressing issues rather than interfere in church activities.
He, however, called on the National Assembly to review the CAMA Act, 2020 as quickly as possible to end the controversies it had caused.
“We note the curious rush to pass and sign this controversial law by the National Assembly and the president and wonder why such speed cannot be seen in critical laws like the amendment and quick signing of the Electoral Act.
“I find this needless, especially at this time when a government that is confronted with myriads of problems and with loopholes in every government department they cannot block wants to look into the finances of religious places as their priority.
“Has any church or mosque complained about financial misappropriation? And even if they did, these religious houses have internal mechanisms of resolving their problems, including changing their leaders. It is not for a government that is engrossed in corruption to do it for them.
“As a Nigerian, I will add a few words on the raging debate on the newly signed controversial law, the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
“The new law permits the Registrar-General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the supervising minister to strictly supervise and scrutinise the financial operations of non-governmental organisations, including religious places, as well as change their trustees. The government and the National Assembly should revisit this law, because the nation’s numerous challenges need the goodwill of the people, especially, the praying houses.”
The bill, which was signed into law by Buhari on August 7, will strictly regulate religious bodies and non-governmental organisations in the country
Secundus should note when a law is made is not done on the name of the person,party and group, the law is for the generality of evebody.We should not be blind_folded and turn all things into politics whether is good or bad.
Have you taken a second look at the law you are talking about, imagine a muslim director of CAMA supervising the account of a church, an institution his own religion see the members as infidels and vise versa. We have Efcc and icpc to take care of corruption related matters. The same government will tell you that there is no complaint when asked to investigate a corrupt government official especially an APC member. The law you have no right to contest the alligatons against you in court, itself corrupt.