By Sylvester Idowu
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Effurun Branch in Delta State has vowed to challenge in court, the new Company and Allied Matters 2020 Act, (CAMA) that was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 7.
The Chairman of the NBA, Effurun Branch, Mr. Jonathan Ekperusi, made the vow during a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents’ Chapel.
Ekperusi alleged that the CAMA 2020 Act was smuggled into the law establishing the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) through the back door.
He said that Part “C,” which is a controversial provision of the CAMA law, gives the Registrar -General of the CAC the power to strictly regulate religious bodies including Islamic groups and charity organizations and their existence.
The Act, according to him, granted the Registrar-General the powers to suspend trustees of an association or a religions body and appoint an interim manager or managers to coordinate its affairs without recourse to a court of law.
He pointed out that this is in contravention of the fair hearing provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria.
Ekperusi said: “That’s too draconian. The CAC does not need the court again. They are now the prosecutor and the judge. No sane society should allow that to happen. That cannot stand. NBA will challenge that obnoxious law. We will approach the Court. Those sections will be struck out.”
He solicited the cooperation of Warri Correspondent’s Chapel (WCC)of the NUJ with the branch of the NBA, Effurun, in upholding the rule of law in the state and beyond.
The Chairman of the WCC, Mr. Okie’s Vikies, commended the NBA executive for the visit and pledged a good working relationship with the lawyers.
