The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) took up, not cudgels but weapons of mass destruction to fight the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over some provisions in the just-signed Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
All manner of CAN and PFN officials, G.O.s and freelance bishops and prophets have railed against CAMA 2020, particularly Section 839 (1) & (2), which empowers CAC to take over the affairs of any association (including religious bodies) registered with it under certain circumstances.
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Seers among them have already espied the possibility of events in CAN in the future forcing CAC to suspend its trustees and appoint interim managers, who may well be – woe of woes – a Muslim!
The spectre of the unthinkable has a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) – hiding behind the veil of anonymity -threatening to challenge CAMA in court.
The reaction of the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) is even more bizarre and most bigoted. Reviewing history, HURIWA declared that “CAC has always been controlled by Hausa-Fulani Moslem Northerners since inception” and, where a brief break occurred, the Acting Director-General, a Mrs Azinge was pushed out “to make way for the candidate of the Moslems, controlled from the Sultanate in Sokoto.”
Such gobbledygook defies understanding or rational analysis.
In contrast to the bigoted reactions of some organisations and individuals cited above, the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) anchored its opposition to CAMA 2020 on the enormous powers it confers on CAC with the great potential for abuse, citing sections of the Act as evidence.
The CAC management has however responded to this onslaught by explaining that registration by associations and organisations (including religious bodies is not compulsory, but a matter of choice.
Associations can forswear registration and operate happily ever after, but registration implies benefits and responsibilities.
Unfortunately, belligerence and search for casus beli have become major planks in the policies of some religious bodies, thereby damaging peaceful co-existence.
Mohammed Tukur Usman [email protected]
