CAMA: CAN writes Buhari, says law dangerous to national interest

The Christian Association of Nigeria on Tuesday
demanded the suspension of the Companies and Allied
Matters Act 2020 .
CAN , in a position paper , said CAMA 2020 “ has the
potential that can further undermine the faith of
stakeholders in the Nigerian – state . ”
This is just as the Presidency said CAMA did not target
religious organisations.
It accused some politicians of latching on to the
criticism of CAMA to wrongly characterise its purposes
as an anti- religious law .
The Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta
Affairs and former National Assembly Presidential
Liaison Officer , Senator Ita Enang , made the
clarification during a brief ceremony at the secretariat
of CAN in Abuja where he received the position paper
of CAN on behalf of the President , Major General
Muhammadu Buhari ( retd ).
The letter signed by the President of CAN , Dr Samson
Ayokunle , was delivered by a former Chaplain of Aso
Villa Chapel and General Overseer of All Christians
Fellowship Mission , Maitama , Rev . William Okoye .
The letter reads partly , “ We consider the Act , as
indeed , a complex of statecraft compendium , laden
with issues that are grossly inimical to national
interest , security ( – peace and stability) , and overall
wellbeing of the Nigerian – state .
“ From the reactions of stakeholders and a cross – section
of the Nigerian – state , it is apparent that the Act either
did not receive input from the respective various
interest groups or failed to accommodate their views,
sundry concerns and varying interests of the Nigerian
people . ”
CAN said the law ought to welcome and accommodate
the sundry and varying interests of the Nigerian
people .
“ Mr President , from the foregoing , we are of the
opinion that you should kindly issue the appropriate
directives to suspend the implementation of CAMA
2020 and affirm a thorough reappraisal of the
legislation that is in correlation with the provisions of
the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria ( as amended ) , other
extant legal and policy frameworks, the national
economy , national security , national interest and the
wellbeing of the Nigerian – state . ”
But
Enang
said the
misconceptions that had trailed CAMA had found their
way in through deliberate misinformation, stressing
that although some had intended to blackmail Buhari
with it , he was not the sponsor and had at previous
occasions withheld assent to it when he was not
convinced it was good enough for Nigeria .
He said , “ We want to declare that the Act does not
target churches or religious bodies as wrongly
assumed . For illustration of this I present a tabular
form of the provisions of the 1990 Act which came into
force on January 2, 1990 , which after more than 30
years of operation has now been repealed and
replaced by CAMA 2020 .
“ Hereunder are the comparative provisions in the two
enactments to show particularly that the 2020 Act
assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari has not
introduced any matter oppressive to the Christian
community or any religion nor any matter
discriminatory against any class of persons in Nigeria . ”