CAMA: Christian groups, CSOs decry regulating religion

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

 As the controversy over the amended Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA 2020) continues to rage-on, the Christian community and civil society organizations (CSO’s), in particular, are contesting certain provisions of the Act, which they consider unsuitable to them. The Act was just signed into law three weeks ago by President Mohammadu Buhari.

For instance, Chapter Four of the Act, titled “Suspension of Trustees, Appointment of Interim managers, etc”, appears contentious to the religious bodies, especially, under section 839, sub-section one, two and three, which empowers the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to wield the big stick on a defaulting organization by suspending its board of trustees and appointing interim managers, etc, etc. The Christian community and Civil Society Organization are raising dust that there were no consultations with stakeholders before President Buhari assented to the Act.

But during an interactive ceremony, recently, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a pastor in one of the religious denominations urged all aggrieved religious bodies or pastors who have expressed concerns over the recently enacted Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, to pursue an amendment of the contentious sections of the law through a proposal to the National Assembly.

He explained that whatever the proposal for amendment may be; whatever the views of the leadership of the church may be, regarding the question of how the trustees, whether they are interim trustees or not, can be put in the form of a proposal that will be taken to the National Assembly for consideration for an amendment to the law. That is the process which is entirely open and ought to be pursued by interested parties in the matter. Further clarifying the CAMA law, the Vice President said, “It is massive legislation that covers a wide range of issues on companies – general meetings, the appointment of directors” etc.

“Now, there is a small portion of it called the Incorporated Trustees Section, that small section of it is the section that regulates charities”. Indeed, Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder and Bishop of the megachurch Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, and Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel, has been on the front-burner of those raising their voices against the CAMA law.

In Abia state, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Abia State chapter has rejected the Act, (CAMA 2020), saying that religious bodies should not be regulated by outsiders who do not understand spiritual matters. The body alleges that CAMA 2020 was born with an ulterior motive, insisting that religious bodies are not secular and no secular organisation should be given the right to suspend, remove or appoint any of its workers.

Making the stand of PFN known to in Umuahia during an interactive session, Rev. Blessed Amalambu, Secretary of Abia PFN wondered where Christian legislators were when the bill was sneaked in and passed into law. They (religious body) expressed disaffection over their silence (legislators) to the matter, which gave it (the bill) the strength needed to its being passed into law.

The PFN alleged that the motives behind the amendments of CAMA 2020 are suspicious;     recalling that in 2017, there was a public hearing in which the concept of public control over religious bodies was rejected totally.

“CAMA 2020 is all about power, authority and control. It empowers the Director-General of CAC to replace the Board of Trustees of a church, dissolve the leadership and appoint any one of their choices to manage the church. The law also empowers CAC to appoint non-believers to preside over Christian affairs. They can replace church trustees if they believe there has been perceived mismanagement, misconduct or fraud to protect its property in the public interest.

“How can a non-Christian be appointed interim manager of a Church to replace Christian church members, with no tenure limit for the appointed interim management? External appointed leaders who do not know, understand or agree with these beliefs, I mean the spiritual matters, will only violate them and cause unnecessary trouble.

“It is perturbing and disheartening that the government will intrude into spiritual matters; matters which are exclusively reserved to those chosen, called by God and trained for that. Things of God and worship of God is not a business or social issue to be considered in CAMA. It is a spiritual thing which has to do with life; a relationship between a deity, the Almighty God and the people He created.

“Right from the time of Moses, God chooses His people, assigns them duties and mandates on areas as being led by the Holy Spirit. Such a law that empowers the CAC and their registrar to have the power to look into the affairs of the church; to dissolve its board of trustees and appoint new ones when there is a perceived irregularity in such church or mosque, amounts to, what I describe as, an intrusion and is exceeding their mandates.

“Many names were given to RUGA when they (federal government) wanted to enshrine it into law for every state and local government areas to map-out certain designated places for the cattle rearers. Though the public reacted negatively to the proposal, the present government used many strategies to bring it into force but failed. This same CAMA 2020 was reared-up during a public hearing. Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, PFN and other stakeholders were duly invited, wherein they rejected vehemently and opposed this bill which was withdrawn and everybody thought that it has died.

But the presidency, despite this, brought back this rejected concept through the backdoor in CAMA 2020, which I believe the due process was not followed, the stakeholders were not duly involved. Unfortunately, this same ulterior motive of Islamization is coming up again”.

The Abia PFN, however, appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for giving the business sector a relief through the CAMA 2020 but called on him to always consider the feelings of the people he is leading in his decisions.

“Every decision taken is for the well-being of the people. When a decision is contrary to the well-being of the people, that means there is an ulterior motive”, he observed.