CSOs Charged on Adherence to Regulations

By Oluwatoyin Adegoke

Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, have been charged to adhere to regulations guiding their operations and protect themselves from being used as conduits for crimes, especially money laundering and terrorism financing. 

Some Executives of Regulatory Agencies gave the charge while addressing a gathering of Civil Society Organizations in Ogun State at a workshop put together by Global Rights, in collaboration with the European Union. 

Participants at the two-day workshop on Regulatory compliance for members of the community on the practice of Civic Space strengthening in Ogun State included representatives of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, the Economic and other Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Federal and State revenue agencies, the European Union and ECOWAS. 

The Deputy Director, CAC’s Registrar-General’s Office, Mr Tolulope Sonaike and a Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, Mr Temitope Erinomo encouraged the Non-profit Organizations to ensure strict compliance with the laws and verify the details of all stakeholders, particularly the donors and beneficiaries of their activities. 

Also, a legal expert on Companies and Allied matters, Professor Adedeji Adekunle advised Civil Society Groups to ensure proper documentation with the regulatory agencies and protect themselves from being used as platforms for laundering proceeds from crime and other illicit activities.

In a remark, Former Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiode-Afolabi enjoined the participants to make good use of the knowledge gained during the training, with a view to enhancing performance among the Civil Society Organizations.

Earlier, the Project Manager of Global Rights, Mr Edosa Oviawe had explained that the workshop was organised to bridge the knowledge gap and empower CSOs to be able to comply with the statutory regulations guiding their activities, for optimal performance. 

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