President of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, Olakunle Oladimeji, has expressed concerns over the activities of unregistered organisations and individuals who have tarnished the image of the critical sector.
In a press briefing in Abuja, Oladimeji expressed disappointment with the practice of harassing government agencies and ministries with unverified claims.
He said such actions undermine the true role of civil society, which is to monitor government policies, promote transparency, and advocate for responsible service delivery.
Oladimeji said, “It has been observed that some faceless associations go about harassing heads of government agencies and ministries with claims of financial infractions.’’
According to him, the unpopular and wrongful acts have brought the image of the civil society family to disrepute, hence the need to call for an end to this mischief is important.
He said the unethical and dishonest exercise to obtain information or address a situation without legitimate claims has become pervasive, adding that “unscrupulous exercise does not benefit the citizens or the institutions rather; it only undermines the magnitude of the infractions and encourages corruption. The role of civil society is to monitor government policies and actions and hold them accountable.
“Civil societies engage in advocacy and offer alternative policies to government, and other institutions, to promote transparency, and responsible service delivery, especially to the poor and underserved people, and mobilise citizens to participate in governance.
“It is not the role of civil societies to make people obey a law or rule or force someone to be accountable. Civil societies are not the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) which are the apex bodies vested by law to fight corruption and other related offences in Nigeria.
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Coalition Demands End To Unethical Practices By CSOs
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