Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Civil Society Organisations as well as other relevant stakeholders in Gombe State, on Wednesday made their inputs and submissions on the bill to establish Community Development Associations and Community-Based Organisations registration office 2023.
The submissions were made during a public hearing on the Bill, organised by state House of Assembly committee on Rural Development, Cooperative and Sustainable Development Goals at the Assembly complex.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the executive bill seeks to regulate Community-Based Organisations and Community Development Associations.
Secretary of Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, Bachama Yusuf, who lauded the initiative recommended that the bill should also consider provision of development rolling fund to be merited and accessed by deserving CBOS and CDAs.
“To support their projects at the grassroots, define clearly, mutual benefits of being registered as CDAS and CBS,” Bachama said.
The association called for amendment of a section of the bill to exempt non-profit organisations from the law when passed into law as “NPOs are corporate bodies registered with corporate Affairs Commission,” he added.
Also, Vice Chairperson Nigerian Bar Association Gombe Branch Mwalin Naomi-Abdu, called for spelt out procedure for revocation of certificate in the bill, “criteria for appointment of staff and a clear definition of scope of duty so as avoid overlapping of duties as the ministry of Youth and Sport Development are empowered by law to register associations, social clubs among others,” she added.
Similarly, the ministry of Youth drew the committee’s attention to the fact that what the bill intended to cover is being performed by the ministry, calling for clear cut of responsibility to avoid overlapping.
Responding to concerns raised, the Speaker of the house, Abubakar Muhammad Luggerewo, and the Permanent Secretary from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Mohammed Dantata-Ndus, noted that there is clear scope of work for the Ministry of Youth, adding that the bill doesn’t intend to contradict any existing law while adding that the bill which is an executive bill has huge benefits.
The Speaker of the house and the Chairman House Committee on Rural Development Cooperative and SDGs, Isaac Maigemu-Lamidi, assured the stakeholders that their submission would be studied carefully in order to enrich the bill for the good of the people and state.
Very good development,we are supporting the rules