Amnesty International Charge LP, PDP Lawmakers to Reject Bill Seeking to Gag CSOs

Right groups, Amnesty International and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have called on lawmakers elected on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party Labour Party to reject a bill currently on the floor of the house that seeks to gag Civil Society Organisations in the country.

Making this call in a post on its official X account, Amnesty International charged the lawmakers to immediately reject the dangerous oppressive bill re-introduced by an All-Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker Sada Soli.

The right group argued that the bill was targeted at violating the rights of Nigerians and caging the freedom of CSOs.

On its part, SERAP tasked the minority lawmakers to reject the repressive bill warning that it was an attempt by the government to crackdown on human rights.

You would recalls that the House of Representatives considered a bill for an Act to establish a regulatory agency for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

The Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli, sponsored the bill, which seeks to regulate the promotion of social development activities in Nigeria and associated topics.

In his lead discussion, Hon. Soli stated that the bill’s primary goal is to establish the Agency to ensure that NGOs and CSOs reach their full societal development potential, as well as to manage private-public development partnerships.

However, the House resolved to step down its consideration of the bill