The Traditional Religious Practitioners’ Association (TRPA) in Nigeria has dragged the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), to the Federal High Court in Enugu.
The suit followed the commission’s refusal to register the traditional worshippers as a religious body such as the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), and the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, (NSCIA).
TRPA under led by Dibia Chukwuma Ezeoruonye in its application to the CAC requested to be registered as a corporate entity for the promotion of their faith.
The CAC turned down the request for registration. The commission in its response on July 11, 2022 said “The CAC regrets to inform you that it was unable to approve any of the names(s) submitted for approval…name not registrable as their forms of worship and practices are not publicly available.”
In their suit No FHC/EN/CS/140/2022, filed through their counsel, Obi K. Odo Esquire, on July 21, 2022, the traditional religious worshippers said that the CAC has discriminated against them on the grounds of their religion which is contrary to the provision of section 42 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“Other religious groups have been incorporated by the defendants but chose to deny us just because we are traditional worshippers; there is no other way to convince the defendants to go ahead and incorporate us as the Board of Trustee of the Association except by the intervention of this court,” the plaintiffs petitioned.
The Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the CAC denial of approval of Traditional Religious Practitioners’ Association as a name for the purposes of incorporating them as registered Trustees of TRPA is a breach of their right to freedom of religion/worship and discriminatory contrary to the 1999 constitution as amended; stating also that the refusal under the part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act was ultra vires and unlawful.
They therefore pleaded with the court for an order compelling the CAC to approve the registration; determine if the group is registrable and whether the CAC was right to have denied the approval of the name that does not offend the law.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
