NEWS
Social Workers chide NASS, warn Buhari against assenting Chartered
Institute of Social Work Practitioners Bill
The Nigeria
Association of Social Workers (NASoW), the umbrella body of all Social Workers
in Nigeria, has kicked against the substitution of “Nigeria Council for Social
Work [Establishment] Bill 2019”, the bill which seeks to regulate the
profession of Social Work in Nigeria, for Chartered Institute of Social Work
Practitioners Bill from the Institute of Social Work of Nigeria (ISWON), by the
National Assembly.
NASoW, in a
statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Mashood Mustapha, copies of
which were made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on
Sunday, by the Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr. Musliudeen
Adebayo, urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to sign any other bill aside the
Nigerian Council for Social Work Bill which will give total control of Social
Work profession in Nigeria to the Federal Government through the Federal
Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
We recall
that the Senate recently reconsidered the Nigeria Council for Social Work
(Establishment) Bill 2019 which is expected to be transmitted to President
Muhammadu Buhari for his assent. The bill has been in the National Assembly
since 2012 before
it was reconsidered and passed by the Senate on Wednesday 15th May 2019.
The bill had
earlier been passed by the Senate in 2017 after which it was rejected by
President Buhari in February 2018 due to some grey areas. The bill was sent
back to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for correction.
The areas
which made Buhari to reject the bill have been corrected with the support
of NASoW, ministries of Justice, Labour among others and the bill was taken
back to the Assembly for reconsideration.
But Mustapha, while
speaking, said that the association was surprised that the National Assembly,
instead of transmitting the original Nigeria Council for Social Work Bill to
President Buhari for his assent, abandoned and substituted the Nigerian
council’s bill by given “Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners
[Establishment] Bill 2019” accelerated hearing and concurrence passage and sent
it to Buhari for his assent.
According to him,
“The Association viewed this with suspicion, particularly the speed at which
this was done and the glaring preference of the private business bill to a
Government Controlled Controlled Council Bill.
“Chartered
Institute Bill is alien to Social Work profession because Social Workers do not
need chartered certificates to take care of the vulnerable and the voiceless.
The chartered nonsense is highly ridiculous because there is nothing like
Chartered Social Workers, chartered Nurses, Chartered Doctors etc in
humanitarian professions.
“The regulatory of
Social Work profession in all over the world is always under the control of
Government and not under the control of private Shylock organizations, just
like it is done in other professions like medicine, law, pharmacy and nursing.
“It is very painful
that the National Assembly cannot read between the line. The bill is not a
genuine commitment to social work development in Nigeria, it is not an altruism
because what would be welfare to ISWON in terms of economic gains would be ill
fare to all social workers and clients.”
“In order to
regulate and professionalise Social Work practice as obtainable in other
developed countries, NASoW in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Women
Affairs and Social Development sponsored a Bill which seeks to establish “The
Nigeria Council for Social Work” (a regulatory arm of the Federal Government of
Nigeria) which shall regulate the practice of Social Work in Nigeria. This Council
shall have same powers like Dental and Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery
Council of Nigeria,
“It is crystal
clear in all the aforementioned professions that it is the Federal Government
that regulates the practice while the practitioners come together to form
association/unions that will cater for welfare of its members. Regulation of
similar professions is done by The Federal Government of Nigeria which is the
common practice in all countries of the world; and not by private individuals
or organization.
“We are surprised
that the National Assembly, can concurred a bill that did not pass through due
process and left the Original bill that passed through the constitutional
process and requirements. Social Work profession suffers one of the highest
brain drain in Nigeria due to unfavourable condition to practice. Social Work
intervention is needed in the Justice system as prison welfare, parole and
probation officers, aftercare and integration service, in health, as
psychosocial therapists, resource mobilisers, advocates and rehabilitation
officers among other services.
“Finally, we are
urging all social workers in Nigeria especially registered NASoW members to be
steadfast and continue to render their services to their clients in a
professional manner they have been doing. The Association is confident that
President Muhammadu Buhari will not sign the Chartered Institute Bill in
error.”
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