By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has lodged a suit against the federal government over the implementation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on August 7, signed the CAMA into law.
The law stipulates that religious bodies and charity organisations will be regulated by the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and a minister.
Also, the CAMA 2020 provides that the commission may by order, suspend the trustees of an association or a religious body and appoint an interim manager or managers to coordinate its affairs, where it reasonably believes that there has been any misconduct or mismanagement, or where the affairs of the association are being run fraudulently, or where it is necessary or desirable for the purpose of public interest.
The Christian body has filed a suit with the number FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2021 at the federal high court in Abuja, over the regulation which has been reportedly gazetted.
In a statement on Monday, Joseph Daramola, CAN’s General Secretary, said the association dragged the Federal Government to court to contest some provisions of CAMA, which it is not comfortable with.
Listed as respondents in the matter are: the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“The association resolved to go to court after all attempts to convince the federal government why it should not intervene or interfere with the management of the Church in the country through any of its agencies failed,” Daramola said.
“The satanic section of the controversial and ungodly law is Section 839 (1) &(2), which empowers the Commission to suspend trustees of an association (in this case, the church) and appoint the interim managers to manage the affairs of the association for some given reasons, is unacceptable.”
The law has generated public outcry across the country as religious leaders say it is a declaration of war on the church.
Last September, the Christian body had urged President Buhari to put on hold the implementation of the law.
