Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), has suggested to members of the National Assembly to listen objectively to reactions of Nigerians as regards the recently signed Companies and Allied Matter Act (CAMA), 2020, in the spirit of democracy.
NIREC reminded the lawmakers that in law making, nothing is sacrosanct, insisting that citizens with genuine observations about a particular law must be allowed to express them even after the law must have followed due legislative process in its making, including CAMA 2020.
It advised individuals or groups with genuine complaints about CAMA to approach the court, or resort to legislative process by proposing either an amendment or repeal of CAMA 2020 to avoid generating unnecessary bad blood and acrimony.
NIREC Co-Chairmen and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, and Rev. Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), stated this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
They warned Nigerians, particularly those aggrieved with CAMA, against heating the polity, urging them to be law abiding in expressing their discontent with the law.
The statement signed by NIREC Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua, encouraged lawmakers to sustain the practice of engagement with stakeholders before passing any law as citizens would be happier with a law that contains their input.
NIREC advised individuals and groups to be patient with CAMA because there were constitutional and democratic solutions to the issue, adding that one of the beauty of democracy was that citizens had representatives in the legislature.
NIREC said it was aware that CAMA was 30 years old before it was amended in 2020, and also aware that laws are amended, reviewed or reformed periodically to address socio-economic changes in the society. The group said it was, therefore, not surprised that the National Assembly decided to pass CAMA 2020. This, it added, was more imperative in view of the need for Nigeria to improve its ranking in ease of doing business and fight against corruption.
