The National Agency for the Great Green Wall is said to have spent an astounding N81.2 billion on the planting of 21 million trees across 11 frontline states, according to records found by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
They are Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno.
The lawmakers raised concerns about the conflicting financial reports provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Agency during the investigative hearing into the “Utilisation of ecological funds released to National Great Green Wall from 2015 to date.” They also questioned some of the expenditures made during the time period under consideration.
After carefully reading the documents provided to the Ad-hoc Committee, the lawmakers who spoke claimed that N11.28 billion was spent on capital projects, N697.372 billion was spent on capital projects, N500 billion was added, N480.657 billion was spent on office renovation, N500 billion was spent on other projects, and N697.372 billion was spent on office renovation. Three States were also excluded from the tree-planting exercise and some projects were carried out by lawmakers under the Constituency Project.
The parliamentarians questioned Wareho’s use of large sums of money in the Agency’s account for numerous years without returning them to the government coffers in accordance with the rules at the time.
The parliamentarians bemoaned the Agency’s failure to conduct a financial audit since its formation and expressed disapproval over the enormous sums spent on capacity building and other subheads that are unrelated to the Agency’s statutory duties.
The parliamentarians who commented on their independent findings said that 80% of the trees planted by the Agency did not live, which alarmed them given the Agency’s failure to substantiate the majority of the tree planting operations carried out thus far.
Recall that some Federal Ministry of Environment officers defraudedly laundered N1 billion that belonged to the Agency in 2015, but Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses were able to reclaim it.
The investigators found evidence that the Bureau de Change and a few financial institutions helped carry out the illegal transfers.
The entire amount of N9,465,960,382.57 was deposited in the Agency’s account from 2015 to the present, according to the 6-page documentation with Reference No. BKS/CSO/CON/NASS/005/082 dated August 22, 2023, provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
One of the seven accounts that the Agency formed was a mandatory account, according to CBN Director Mr. Samuel Okudere, who made this disclosure in his presentation.
A total of N19.378 billion was released to the Agency from the Derivation & Ecology Accounts since February 2019 according to the data provided by the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein.
As part of its capital expenditures, the Agency also got N11.02 billion from the AGF.
The payment of N2.309 billion to the Agency as a September 2020 Statutory 5% Ecology Fund, according to the Director of the AGF, Mrs. Irene Nwangwu, was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In response to questions from the lawmakers, Dr. Yusuf Bukar, the managing director of NAGGW, said that the Great Green Wall Act, which Mr. President signed in 2015, gives the Agency the ability to carry out the Nigerian component of the program as an African Union initiative being implemented in 11 African countries to cogently address the issue of land degradation, desertification, drought, climate change, and livelihood of affected communities.
He said that one million trees were planted by the agency in Borno, Yobe, and other states, with N2.4 billion released in the first phase and N7.3 billion issued in the second.
He continued, saying that among the funds accruing to the Agency’s account are: 15% of the ecological fund for the Great Green Wall, a contribution from the fund for the development of natural resources, and gifts, loans, and grants in aid from national bilateral, multilateral organizations, donors, international and development agencies, as well as individuals.
Although he acknowledged that the Agency receives funding from donor agencies, he was unable to produce the necessary records to support the amount that had been received to date.
He acknowledged that the Agency had departed from its basic purpose when responding to inquiries about different violations in the execution of its functions.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas stated that the Ad-hoc Committee was tasked with investigating the following during the flag-off of the investigative hearing:
from 2015 to the present, each and every release and dollar amount received from donors or international organizations; The use of environmental funds released to the Great Green Wall by international organizations, all contracts granted to different contractors for the project from 2015 to the present, the total amount received through the policy, and the degree of compliance with the goals and objectives of the projects are all factors to consider.
Abbas, who was represented by Hon. Dickson Tarkir, stated that the goals of this investigative hearing are to collect information to ensure that the program is carried out as effectively as possible, identify obstacles to project execution, uncover corruption, and provide guidance to the new administration in the continued implementation of this policy, which is essential to both the welfare and security of our country.
Additionally, using public money and making sure it is used in accordance with this hearing fulfills the obligation of the legislature to establish policies of public interest and annual budgetary provisions, not to mention donations from both local and foreign donor organizations.
The Ad-hoc Committee Chairman, Hon. Isma’ila Dabo, stated in his remarks that the necessity of this investigation to provide fair hearings to all parties and for all issues affecting the successful implementation of the project to be brought to the table was caused by the persistence of these environmental challenges despite funds invested in the program from both the federal government and international partners.
He stated that “after this hearing, we shall go on, an on-the-spot evaluation visit of all the projects performed under this scheme to ascertain the allegations.
“In the best interests of all Nigerians, the Ad-hoc committee is steadfast in completing this task. We are merely here to make sure that public monies are used for what they are intended for, not to expose any person or organization to disgrace. When it comes to blaming someone, we won’t hold back—not out of personal malice, but rather out of a simple desire to protect our country.
