The SGF must explain the framework being used to spend money by the PCNI
If any proof was ever needed of a tragic mismatch between the reports of imminent starvation in the North-east and the proven resources that the nation has committed to relief efforts in the region, it is in the proposed 2017 budget of the Presidential Committee on the North-east Initiative (PCNI). From the emergency construction of warehouses in the six North-eastern states (N1.188 billion), to strategic communications, media and publicity (N100 million), to donor conference (N250 million), to consultancy (N370 million), to capturing of IDPs bio-data (N385 million), to communications and public address systems (N100 million) to advocacy visits (N32.68 million), to online dashboard and matrix of interventions (N55 million) to sundry other subheads, including “drafting of letters”, it is clear that the welfare of the displaced people is not the overriding consideration of those who prepared the budget. We also fail to understand what the committee intends to do with the proposed N8.4 billion for “military equipment”.
Instructively, the scandal of the mismanagement of the money meant to care for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-east has for months been a matter of grave public interest. Aside the fact that the challenge of livelihood in the affected areas (where many are dying daily of hunger and want) is real and requires a hands-on approach, there are reports that even the little resources being provided are being looted by some unconscionable officials of this administration.
Last week, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, who was earlier indicted by the Senate allegedly for using his position to exploit the poor victims of insurgency, wrote that he could not honour their invitation on account of a legal action he instituted. He was refusing to be held accountable for the money meant for the most vulnerable of our society. But following a backlash, he wrote back 24 hours later to say he would honour their invitation at another date.
While we condemn the recourse to lawlessness being exhibited by some officials in the executive branch of government, the SGF must be compelled by the president to explain the implementation framework being used to spend money by the PCNI that is directly under his control and supervision. “We have been inundated by reports of diversion of materials and funds meant for the rehabilitation of the IDPs and the scandal had led to international embarrassment for the country” said Hon Sani Zorro, chair of the House of Representatives committee investigating alleged diversion of funds and materials meant for the IDPs.
The theatre of this scandal (the North-east) makes it very important for the Buhari administration to take the allegations serious enough to want to get to the root of it. In recent times, Nigeria has come under embarrassing international attention on account of the threat of starvation in the IDP camps in the area. It is bad enough that so much national and international relief resources have been committed or pledged in aid of our fellow citizens affected by the Boko Haram crisis. So far, reports of rampant abuse of these resources have largely gone unattended to, even when the president himself recently called for an investigation.
On a recent visit to the IDPs camps in Maiduguri, Borno State, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of internally displaced persons, Professor Beyani Chaloka, spoke not only of deprivation and want in many of the camps but the fact that some officials are using those situations to exploit and abuse the IDPs, including demanding for sexual gratifications.
Anyone engaged in the criminal diversion of the funds earmarked to ameliorate the dehumanising conditions of the IDPs has committed a crime against humanity and should face the full wrath of the law.