SECTION
- Short title and application
- Interpretation.
- Incorporation of Nigerian Red Cross Society.
- Purposes of the Society.
- Recognition as Voluntary Aid Society.
- Government of Society.
- Power to make rules.
- Offences.
- Vesting of assets of former branch.
SCHEDULE
Further particulars of certain International Conventions to which the Government
of the Federation has acceded
NIGERIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY ACT
An Act to incorporate the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
[L.N. 205 of 1961. 1960 No. 52.]
[1st January, 1961]
[Commencement.]
- Short title and application
(1) This Act may be cited as the Nigerian Red Cross Society Act.
[L.N.139 of 1965.]
(2) This Act shall apply throughout the Federation, so however that it shall not have
effect in a State unless and until the Governor of the State by notice in the State Gazette
declares it shall apply.
- Interpretation
In this Act-
"the Society" means the Nigerian Red Cross Society constituted by this Act.
- Incorporation of Nigerian Red Cross Society
For the purpose of maintaining and carrying on the objects set out in section 4 of this
Act, the president, trustees, officers and members of the former branch, and all persons
who may hereafter become president, officer or members of the Society in the manner
laid down in the rules of the Society, are hereby constituted a body corporate by the name
of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and shall have perpetual succession and a common
seal and power to sue and be sued in its corporate name and to acquire, hold and dispose
of movable and immovable property.
- Purposes of the Society
(1) The general purposes of the Society shall be-
(a) in time of war, to furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded both of armies
and among non-belligerents, and to prisoners of war and civilian sufferers
from the effects of war, in accordance with the spirit and conditions of the
conventions set out in the Schedule to this Act;
[Schedule.]
(b) to perform all the duties devolved upon a national society by each nation
which has acceded to the said conventions;
(c) in time of peace or war, to carry on and assist in work for the improvement of
health, the prevention of disease and mitigation of suffering throughout the
world;
(d) to succeed to and take over all the right and property heretofore or now held
and enjoyed by and all the duties heretofore performed by the former branch.
(2) The particular purposes of the Society shall be defined by rules made by the Central
Council of the Society in accordance with section 7 of this Act: Provided that nothing in such
purposes shall be inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or with the spirit and intention of the said conventions.
- Recognition as Voluntary Aid Society
(1) The Society shall be recognised by the Government of the Federation as a Voluntary
Aid Society, auxiliary to the public authorities, for the purposes of the said conventions
and shall have the right to have and use in carrying out its purposes as an em-
blem and badge a red cross with vertical and horizontal arms of the same length on and
completely surrounded by a white ground.
(2) The Society is hereby authorised, with or without the co-operation of any other
society, organisation or association which may have been accorded similar powers by an
Act of the National Assembly, to act in matters of relief under the said conventions.
- Government of Society
(1) The governing body of the Society shall be a Central Council, consisting of not
more than fifty members appointed or elected in such manner as may be determined from
time to time by the Central Council: Provided that not less than half the members of the Central Council shall be per-
sons elected thereto by the divisions or branches of the Society organised in accordance
with subsection (2) of this section.
(2) The Central Council shall have power to provide for the organisation of such di-
visions and branches in various parts of the Federation as may seem expedient for the
more effectual carrying out of the purposes of the Society under such rules as the Central
Council may prescribe; and the existing organisation of the former branch shall continue
until other provisions is made by the Central Council of the Society.
(3) There shall be an Executive Committee of the Society consisting of not less than
twenty and not more than thirty persons appointed or elected by the Central Council from
among its members; and ten members of the Executive Committee shall form a quorum.
(4) The Executive Committee shall have and exercise all the powers granted by this
Act when the Central Council is not in session subject, however, to such regulations or
restrictions as the Central Council may from time to time determine.
(5) Until a Central Council and an Executive Committee of the Society have been
constituted under this section, the members of the Central Council and of the executive
committee of the former branch shall respectively exercise the powers of the Central
Council and the Executive Committee of the Society.
- Power to make rules
(1) The Central Council shall make such rules as appear to it necessary for carrying
out the purposes of the Society and in particular, and without prejudice to the generality
of the foregoing, for providing for-
(a) the particular purposes of the Society, in accordance with subsection (2) of
section 4 of this Act;
(b) the organisation and functions of branches and divisions of the Society;
(c) the appointment and duties of the officers of the Society;
(d) the custody of the property of the Society and the keeping and auditing of accounts;
(e) the use of the Red Cross emblem and badge by officers and members of the Society;
(f) the making of appeals to the public for financial or other support for the Society;
(g) the terms on which the Society may accept grants or subventions from Governments or other public authorities;
(h) the terms on which the Society may associate with other voluntary organisations
for any purpose which is included among the purposes of the Society;
(i) the qualifications and functions of the members of the Society and their
organisation in various classes according to their qualifications:
Provided that the Society shall not withhold membership from any citizen of
Nigeria on grounds of race, sex, religion, or political opinions.
(2) Rules made under this section shall be such as to ensure the impartiality and the
political, religious and economic independence of the Society and its existence as a voluntary, public and self-governing organisation.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 10 of the Interpretation Act, it
shall not be necessary for any rules made by the Central Council under this section to be
published in the Federal Gazette, but a copy of any such rules shall be furnished to the
Minister responsible for defence.
- Offences
Any person who falsely and fraudulently-
(a) holds himself out to be or knowingly allows himself to be supposed to be a
member of or an agent for the Society for the purpose of soliciting, collecting
or receiving money or material; or
(b) wears or displays the emblem of the Red Cross on any article of clothing,
badge, piece of paper, or in any other way whatsoever, or any insignia coloured in imitation
thereof in such a way as to be likely to deceive those to
whom it is visible, for the purpose of inducing the belief that he is a member
of, or an agent for the Society, or that he has been recognised by the Society as
possessing any qualification for administering first aid or other treatment for
the relief of sickness,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding
N400 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and
imprisonment.
- Vesting of assets of former branch
(l) On the day on which this Act comes into operation all the assets and liabilities of
the former branch shall be transferred to and vest in the Society by virtue of this section
and without further assurance.
(2) All deeds, bonds, instruments and contracts subsisting immediately before the day
on which this Act comes into operation to which the trustees of the former Branch are
parties shall be of as full force and effect against or in favour of the Society and enforce-
able as fully and effectually as if, instead of the trustees of the former branch, the Society
had been a party thereto.
(3) All assets held by the former branch for the purpose of any State Branch or Division
of the former branch shall continue to be held by the Society for the purposes of the
corresponding State Branch or Division of the Society.
SCHEDULE
[Section 4 (1) (a).]
Further particulars of certain International Conventions to which the Government
of the Federation has acceded
Geneva Convention for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in
armed forces in the field of 12 August 1949.
Geneva Convention for the amelioration of the condition of wounded, sick and ship-
wrecked members of armed forces at sea of 12 August 1949.
Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war of 12 August 1949.
Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war of
12 August 1949.
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
No Subsidiary Legislation
