The Civil Society Organisation’s Budget Implementation, Assessment, Evaluation, and Monitoring Committee has pointed fingers at the House of Representatives for asserting that the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) spent a whopping N81.2 billion on planting 21 million trees.
In a briefing held in Abuja, Mr. Ogakwu Dominic, the Coordinator of the CSO, refuted these claims, asserting that they lacked credibility.
Dominic emphasized that part of the CSO’s role involved ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all the agency’s activities, including zonal intervention projects and constituency projects of the National Assembly housed within the NAGGW.
According to him, the allocated funds were not solely earmarked for tree planting but encompassed various other purposes aligning with the agency’s responsibilities.
The NAGGW’s distinctive mandate centres on the transformation of Nigeria’s drylands through an aggressive and robust tree-planting campaign.
Dominic stressed the importance of fact-checking to prevent any misrepresentation that could undermine the agency’s achievements and objectives. He also commended Mr. Yusuf Bukar, the Director-General of the agency, for his transparent stewardship.
He reiterated that these efforts have furthered the United Nations’ habitat agenda and climate policy, including initiatives like the Bonny Island Green Wall Development Programme and the Northern Sahara Desert Great Green Wall Programme.
NAN’s report identified the 11 states where these trees were reportedly planted: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno.
This widespread distribution of tree-planting projects underscores the agency’s commitment to combat desertification and promote sustainable land management across various regions.
While the House of Representatives’ allegations of extravagant spending on tree planting projects have stirred controversy, the Civil Society Organisation’s rigorous scrutiny and support for the National Agency for the Great Green Wall emphasize the importance of transparency and fact-based assessments in promoting ecological sustainability and achieving national environmental goals.
A few days ago, as reported by TheWitness, the House of Representatives conducted an investigative hearing that uncovered alleged financial irregularities within the operations of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), according to The Guardian.
According to the findings, the agency purportedly expended a staggering N81.2 billion in the ambitious endeavor of planting 21 million trees across 11 strategic states, namely: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno.
The investigative committee, led by Isma’ila Dabo, expressed profound dissatisfaction with the conflicting financial reports presented by various entities, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (oAGF), and NAGGW itself.
These disparities came to light during the scrutiny of documents submitted by these entities.
This thorough investigation was initiated following a resolution passed during a July plenary session, wherein the House resolved to establish an ad hoc committee tasked with scrutinizing the utilization of ecological funds allocated to NAGGW since the year 2015.
