House of Representatives has querried the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) for spending N81.2 billion to plant 21m trees in 11 States of the Federation.
News Rider reports that 11 states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno benefitted from the tree planting.
They are classified as the frontline states with a projected population of over 54 million and 394, 000 landmass.
The states, which cut across the North East and North West region of Nigeria are worst hit by desertification.
Chairman of Ad hoc Committee investigating the ‘Utilisation of Ecological Funds Released To NAGGW From 2015 Till Date’, Rep. Isma’ila Dabo on Wednesday in Abuja expressed dismay over the claims made by the agency.
He pointed out that there are persistent environmental challenges despite the huge funds spent on the programme, adding that investment made by the Federal Government and international partners into the project necessitated the investigation.
Dabo hinted that the committee would commence on-the-spot assessment tour to all the projects executed under the scheme to ascertain the claims.
He stated that the committee does not intend to scandalise any individual or organisation but to ensure that public funds were properly utilised on the project.
“We will not shy away from pointing fingers where necessary, not out of personal animosity but simply in the national interest of our nation," he said.
The committee lamented that 80 per cent of trees planted by the agency did not survive.
Recall that the sum of N1bn belonging to the agency was fraudulently laundered by some officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment in 2015 but was recovered by Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences.
The investigators had revealed that the fallacious transfers were carried out in collaboration with some financial banks and Bureau de Change.
To this end, the committee expressed displeasure over conflicting financial reports submitted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).
A six-page document with Reference No: BKS/CSO/CON/NASS/005/082 dated 22nd August, 2023 and submitted by CBN to the committee revealed that the total sum of N9,465,960,382.57 was domiciled in the agency’s account from 2015 to date.
The Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, represented by a Deputy Director, Irene Nwangwu, said that the NAGGW had received a total of N19,377,726,506.95 from the Derivation & Ecology Accounts from February 2019 to date.
Reacting, the Director-General of NAGGW, Dr Yusuf Bukar hinted that the Great Green Wall Act, which was signed by Mr. President in 2015, enabled the agency to implement the Nigerian component of the programme as an initiative of the African Union.
The GGW programme is currently implemented in 11 Africa countries to coherently address the problem of land degradation, desertification, drought, climate change and livelihood of affected communities.
He said that the agency planted one million trees in Borno, Yobe and other states, adding that N2.4 billion was released in the first phase and N7.3 billion released in the second phase.
Bukar disclosed that the fund accruing into the agency’s account included 15 per cent of the ecological fund for the Great Green Wall, contribution from the natural resources development fund and gifts.
Others include loans and grants in aid from national bilateral, multilateral organisations and donors, international and development agencies, as well as individuals.
He informed that the agency often received funds from donor agencies, though he failed to provide relevant documents on the amount received so far.
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