For integrity of ecological funds

Abdullahi M. Gulloma

The National Economic Council (NEC), this week, established a committee to audit Ecologic Funds and approved the decentralisation of the natural and ecological funds between the states and local governments, Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra state, has said.
Obiano said this in Abuja after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He said: “At the 76th meeting of NEC held today, the following resolutions were arrived at. First on the natural resource funds at ecological fund, the Accountant-General of the federation briefed the council on the natural resource and ecological funds as follows: Natural resource funds balanced as at 31 March 2017 was N70.9 billion. Ecological balance as at that date was N33.6 billion.

“States and local governments now keep their share of resource and an ecological fund for use as the need arises in their respective jurisdiction. Council decided that an audit of ecological funds be carried. Adhoc committee comprising of Oyo, Borno, Imo, Kaduna, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue and ministers of finance and environments have been set up to do the audit and come up with recommendations on how all the funds shall be managed.”
Of course, the decision to audit and recommend how best to manage ecological fund is commendable because reports indicate that the fund lost its meaning and reason for its establishment. Particularly, concerns were raised that the fund has been jeopardised by particularly those empowered to administer it.

The fund reportedly became a form of political tool in the hands of the then political leaders, who allegedly dished it, mindless of the need for accountability and justification, to loyal party members in order to buy or sustain their loyalty.
In fact, the Ecological Fund, domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, was established to reduce ecological problems nationwide to the barest minimum and facilitate quality and effective implementation of projects, had been greatly abused and made to serve the exact opposite of the purposes for which it was established.

Many states governors, especially in the past, have used the funds for personal projects, political campaign and, in general, for sinister and corruption-related purposes while even when alarms were raised, the federal government did little or nothing to address the allegations.
This is why the decision to now audit the fund is a welcome development for if nothing else, the move serves to restore the integrity of the ecological funds programme. The present administration should go further to prosecute those found to be guilty in the process of the fund’s administration and recover the money stolen from the programme.

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