Mr Frank Tietie, an Abuja based lawyer and Human Rights activist, says the newly amended Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) poses no threat to religious freedom.
Tietie spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari signed CAMA into law on Aug. 7, to facilitate the ease of doing business in the country.
But a part of the law, particularly section 839, was not acceptable to some religious organisations.
Although it was not compulsory to register religious bodies in Nigeria, the activist said that CAMA still provided an advantage in the areas of corporate personality and perpetual succession.
“Any group of persons, either Muslims, Christians, or traditionalists that I am familiar with, can operate legally without having to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“That is a fundamental right of every Nigerian, which has the force of law that is fundamental to the existence of the country itself.
“However, the law provides for the optional, twin benefits of corporate personality and perpetual succession to any group who so wish, only on the condition of registration with CAC,’’ he said.
The activist noted that any group of persons, who decided to be registered, means such a group has submitted itself to be regulated by the law applicable to corporates bodies.
According to Tietie, groups cannot continue to claim the twin benefits of registration and reject the corresponding responsibilities to such benefits.
He said that many people, including institutional donors, would not give money to an organisation, whether a mosque or church if they knew such an organisation was owned by one man who laid personal claim to all the property of the group.
He also said that no persons would support religious organisation that doesn’t have a clear-cut succession plan.
“Many members of such organisation often grumble when its leadership is passed onto either the wife, son or daughter of the founder, upon his death.
“Any group of persons that holds out itself to be registered, either as a church or mosque, must operate according to the minimum standards of transparency, accountability and predictability in the management of its property, particularly financial resources.
“There have been recent cries against some of the provisions of the new CAMA, which many claims, are meant to detract from religious freedom. That cannot be correct.’’
Tietie said that the controversial provision of Section 839 of CAMA, which enabled CAC to suspend trustees on certain conditions and in conjunction with the court, appointed interim managers for the association and deals.
The legal practitioner said that the deals were mainly with the property of such an organisation.
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“Property is at the heart of the matter, not religious freedom.
“A good example is the application of the said provision is the recent suspension of the trustees of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry in the UK, for failing to file its financial reports on time.
“The UK authorities reasonably do not have to appoint a Sheikh or Mullah to superintendent over the church.
“Only persons with knowledge in such areas as accounting, management, and administration were likely appointed.
“CAC has always enjoyed such wide discretionary powers in the repeal law that it can transfer the property of one defunct organisation to another that it considers having similar objects,’’ the lawyer said.
He said that there has been clearly, a regime of abuse in the management of the property of religious organisations in Nigeria and called for a serious understanding of the CAMA law.
He added that the requirements for transparency in the Not- for- Profit sector as contained in the new CAMA are not strange to Nigeria’s legal environment.

If only the amendment would be understood by “those acclaimed corrupt MOG”.

my country can be funny. honestly u needed not worry or afraid about CAMA if ur church or mosques is actually a true religion calling or house of GOD but if it is for a personal and family enrichment then u will go against the CAMA LAW. I support this CAMA LAW.

The CAMA law should be amended. The church should not be controlled by the government. Knowing how sensitive the issue of religion is in this country, it's wise and advisable to avoid anything that could stoke up tension.

This also goes to show the faulty nature of our system. Why wasn't the religious bodies, civil society organizations consulted before adopting the stand, who and who attends the public hearing prior to passage of these laws?. These are unnecessary issues that could have been avoided if things are done appropriately.

We know that some of our politicians and government officials are cultists, how do you expect such people to now control the church?. The policy is ill advised and should be repealed.

CAC Chair had made it clear that any organization that doesn't want to be supervised by the Government should deregister. After all Jesus and His Apostles never registered their churches with the government of their days, all Jesus wanted from His disciples is to preach the Gospel, win souls and care for them.[color=#990000][/color]

Ok

Primesky:
The CAMA law should be amended. The church should not be controlled by the government. Knowing how sensitive the issue of religion is in this country, it's wise and advisable to avoid anything that could stoke up tension.

This also goes to show the faulty nature of our system. Why wasn't the religious bodies, civil society organizations consulted before adopting the stand, who and who attends the public hearing prior to passage of these laws?. These are unnecessary issues that could have been avoided if things are done appropriately.

We know that some of our politicians and government officials are cultists, how do you expect such people to now control the church?. The policy is ill advised and should be repealed.

This one no even read the Lawyers points. He also never read any point made by anyone in support of CAMA. All he knows is that Buhari is a Fulani man and his administration cannot make any Law that will put Churches under the supervision of government.

Let this be known; all persons, things, association, clubs e.t.c. in this country are under the supervision of governemnt. If you don't like it, leave Nigeria. Simple.

StreetFight:


This one no even read the Lawyers points. He also never read any point made by anyone in support of CAMA. All he knows is that Buhari is a Fulani man and his administration cannot make any Law that will put Churches under the supervision of government.

Let this be known; all persons, things, association, clubs e.t.c. in this country are under the supervision of governemnt. If you don't like it, leave Nigeria. Simple.

Can you stop peddling falsehood?!.

Point out where any of my points portray the president in such nepotistic light as you stated?.

Honestly point out where I brought up fulani issue and such like as you erroneously quoted above in my text?. Why do you people behave this way?.

The lawyer is a Nigerian entitled to his opinion, and that applies to me too. But it's wickedness to allude to me what I never said.

My primary position is that, knowing how sensitive the issue of religion is in this country, such matters should have been properly addressed while it was still with the law makers. For it to be passed is tantamount to saying to Mr. President all due deligence has been done, which in fact as the case is, is not!.

Nobody is saying the church is not and should not be under the law of the country, but the state/country should not control the church!. Don't get the two twisted. If this is allowed to stay, soon, we will have the government conducting elections on who becomes a pastor or who heads what position. Such cannot be done especially In a secular state with multiple religions and beliefs.

Was religious bodies not under the former CAMA, did they not follow the procedures laid out in that former version in their formation?, if a change has to be done on the existing law, shouldn't the concerned parties be carried along?, or are we now fully in military regime where laws are slammed on the people arbitrally whether they like it or not?.

Please stop putting words in peoples mouth, that's not honesty. Thank you.

An average Nigerian is either tribal, religious, or ethnic biased...by your comment or opinion, I can tell from which tribe or ethnic or religion you belong to...

Can you imagine...Nigeria can not grow in this kind of mindset...we use religion, tribal, and ethnic sentiment to limit the growth of this country...

....hear the submission of someone in the position of authority that has sworn the oath of allegiance to perform his official function without tribal or religious sentiments...
"/it is not compulsory to register....you can still operate your charitable organizations without registering under CAC....and these questions come to mind....whether CAC is the inheritance of some group of people... I don't know...
To be fair with all stakeholders, there should be a public hearing where the grievances and all these clauses in the CAMA act will be discussed....
We all go to school, we know how. some draconic laws are being implemented without having recourse to the people or organizations involved.

I.wish to submit that this CAMA Act is a ploy topple and cripple the church systems....and if nothing is done about it, it will cause serious disaster for the body of Christ...
A lot of bitterness, envy, acrimony and animosity reigns in the blood of this.people.toward churches.and the Christian religion...

God will punish all.you...