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...A trending social media video on NGO regulatory bill is an old video redistributed to raise false alarm, with fake narrative, intention to deceive
By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Claim:
A trending video on social media claimed that the Nigeria
National Assembly has introduced a bill aimed at regulating Nongovernmental
Organizations (NGOs) in the country. The video was attached with a quote "Is
now we entered pure one chance. This is the most dangerous of all bills. May
God help us."
Details:
The trending video was shot by a foremost human rights
lawyer and activist, Professor Chidi Odinkalu. Professor Odinkalu, in a
summary, tried to sensitise the public on the content of NGO bill otherwise
referred to as a Bill for an Act To Provide For The Establishment Of The
Non-Governmental Organizations Regulatory Commission For The Supervision,
Co-ordination And Monitoring Of Non Governmental Organizations." See screenshots below;
Some social media influencers/contents creators are
currently feeding on the content with different twists. One of them, Obum blog, blasted
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, thereby suggesting that it was an executive bill.
Verifying the content:
1.
Factcheckng.com found out that the content of
the video was valid but it was not a recent development. Professor Odinkalu
actually shot and published the content around 2017 when the bill was referred to
a committee on NGO/CSOs. This was ahead of September 2017 or December when it
was finally considered at a public hearing. The man in the content also used it
then on his Twitter
handle. Other users are the Cableng,
ICIRNigeria,
vidence (from a screenshot of part of the video);
2.
Similarly, a Google Search showed that the bill
was first introduced in the 8th Assembly of the Federal House of Representatives
on 2nd June
2016 by Hon. Umar Buba of APC, Kogi. It scaled through second reading on
July 14, 2016, was referred to a committee with public
hearing held on December
2017. However, the report was neither presented nor passed into law to date.
Towards the end of 9th Assembly, precisely in July 2022, the
bill was reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Hon. Sada Soli, APC Katsina State but it was neither
passed nor assented to before the termination of 9th Assembly.
3.
Again, the 10th Assembly or current Federal
House of Representatives was constituted on 13th June,
2023 and resolved to about a month recess at the end. It later reconvened on July
2023 and had only received two official executive bills namely National University
Commission Act (Amendment) Bill 2023, and Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act (Amendment)
Bill 2023, according official records on it verified Facebook page. The information of their
activities so far are also available on various YouTube channels of Nigerian conventional
media organisations, websites and federal government official website.
4.
Also, this is not the first time the content had
been in circulation probably by mischievous content creators and disgruntled politicians.
It is usually redistributed towards election time or immediately after the election
for whatever reasons behind the senders. Hence, it was seen on social media sometimes
in 2019, 2018, 2022 and now in 2023.
Verdict:
Disregard the content as an old video currently redistributed to raise false alarm or deceive the public.
Okechukwu Onuegbu is the MD/CEO, Factcheckng.com. You can reach him through oonuegbu3@gmail.com.