The Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks (CNSCSN) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) demanding it to investigate the implementation of the federal government’s social intervention programmes across the country.
In a letter addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Abdulraheed Bawa, signed by the President, Kano Civil Society Forum, Kano State, Amb Ibrahim A Waiya and 19 others, they said that they are seriously disturbed by the recent survey publication of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) tagged Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Survey wherein, Northern states were reported to have the worst indices.
“This is of great concern considering the huge investment made by the Federal government through Social Investment programmes where hundreds of thousands of citizens were supposedly reported to have received one form of economic support or the other.
“Unfortunately, the recent publication by the NBS indicated otherwise, as it does not translate to an improvement or betterment of life for the poor people in Nigeria particularly in the Northern region. 63% of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multi -dimensionally poor, 65% of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.
“According to the Nigerian Tribune Newspaper report of January 14th 2022, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq said the Federal Government of Nigeria spends the sum of One Billion Dollars on National Social Investment Programmes annually since 2016.
“As a network of civil society representing over three thousand individual organizations across the Nineteen Northern State and FCT, it is our belief that dismissing the Managing Director for NIRSAL, is not enough by now, as discreet investigation should be conducted to unravel the alleged misappropriation of public funds .
“We however, have conducted preliminary investigation through our state member organizations, and the findings indicated possible tendency of irregularities in the application of the funds across the States. The interventions that were meant for the poor in most cases ended up being diverted to unintended and undeserving beneficiaries,” the group added.
“It is against this background, we write to your good office to seek for thorough investigation into the application of some Special Intervention Programmes Funds. We beseech a thorough investigation into the application of such funds.”
