By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Tuesday, said the Federal Government should accept Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, as partners and stakeholders instead of anti-government.

This was stated by the Executive Director, CISLAG, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, in a chat with Vanguard, asserting that more could be achieved internationally and nationally if there are that synergy and mutual understanding between the government and CSOs.

READ ALSO: CSO asks Buhari to sack Sylva over $62bn debt statement

Rafsanjani made the assertion while speaking on his experience before and during the recently concluded 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, United States of America, USA, and decried the way the Nigerian Government treated Nigeria based CSOs by keeping them at the back burner instead of harmonising some positions with them, and that would have given Nigeria strong presentation.

According to him, there is a gap between the government and the Civil Society Organisations in the country, which has hampered the rapid growth and development of the country.

He also alleged that what CSOs rather receive from the government instead of synergy have been hostility, aggression, intimidation, and oppression.

READ ALSO: CSO condemns alleged plan to arrest, charge Soyombo

He said: “Civil Societies have been seen by the United Nations, UN, in some of its governing processes and we are saying that if UN can recognise why Nigeria and other African governments mainstream CSOs’ views into their own policies.

“The learning for the Nigerian government is to learn from the UN in terms of its recognition of CSOs in terms of the valuable contributions do give and CSOs’ views are carried on board.

“CISLAC has been advocating that Nigeria should be having a pre-UNGAS meeting with Civil Society Organisations so we can harmonise views so that we can support the Nigerian Government where we feel that the Nigerian Government is doing the right thing for international support, advocacy and solidarity for cooperation.

“CISLAG has been pushing the Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a one-day pre-General Assembly meeting to be able to harmonise views because it is not nice when you go to the General Assembly to see government position on this side and CSOs are on the other side, especially when there is convergence of positive interests and views, there is need to meet together to see how we can complement and support the effort of government.

“But when you emasculate, harass, no space for CSOs it becomes difficult for CSOs to trust the government to provide them the necessary support at the international level.

“No CSO is working to undermine the effort of government but their action is tantamount to the government do the right thing. To borrow the words of the President, “Nigeria is the only country we have and we must stay here to solve the problem together”. So, he (Buhari) must allow CSOs and media including citizens to positively contribute to the development of the country and get out of this misery we find ourselves.

“There is a huge gap between the Nigerian government and CSOs and no effort whatsoever from the government to invite those CSOs who having observers status at the UN because CISLAG has UN observer status.”

He also advised that “What government should have been doing is to get those CSOs who have been engaging at UN level, discuss with them and see how they can harmonise views so that when Nigeria is canvassing a particular position Nigerian CSOs can key in and support effort of the government.

“That opportunity does not exist and we have written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before saying there is need for such kind of synergy, for CSOs to harmonise views with the government so that CSOs will not be going to say something different from what government will be saying, especially when there is good policy.”

vanguard