Stolen ecological funds

The Ecological Funds, domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has been abused over the years. The mandate of the Funds, according to a citation on its website, says it is meant to do the following: “reduce ecological problems nationwide to the barest minimum; facilitate quality and effective implementation […]

The Ecological Funds, domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has been abused over the years. The mandate of the Funds, according to a citation on its website, says it is meant to do the following: “reduce ecological problems nationwide to the barest minimum; facilitate quality and effective implementation of projects; judicious and equitable utilization of the Fund; and effective management of Ecological Fund Projects.”
On its history, the website says, the Ecological Fund “is an intervention facility established to address the multifarious ecological problems ravaging communities across the country. It was originally established in 1981 through the Federation Account Act (1981) based on the recommendations of the Okigbo Commission. The Act has subsequently been modified by Decrees 36 of 1984 and 106 of 1992 respectively; and further modified through the Allocation of Revenue/Federation Account etc (modification) order of 8th July 2002. The Fund which originally received 1% of the Federation Account was reviewed upwards to 2% of the Federation Account in 1992.”
From its inception in 1981, it has been on a first line charge, such that it provides handy resources for amelioration of ecological problems, such as soil erosion, flood, drought, desertification, oil spillage, pollution, general environmental pollution, storm, tornadoes, bush fire, crop pest, landslide, earthquakes etc.
Preliminary investigations by the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) into the use of the Ecological Funds have created a sense of panic among some past and serving state governors. This follows revelations of massive fraud bordering on large scale misapplication of the billions of naira they received from the Funds.
According to the reports instead of using the funds for the designated purposes of addressing the ecological challenges facing their states, the affected governors diverted them into other ends, which include personal projects, political campaigns, award of bogus contracts to cronies for money laundering, purchase of vehicles, acquisition of choice properties, and augmentation of revenue shortfalls due to the drop in oil prices. The investigations point to willful acts of fraud by these governors and their associates.
 Relatedly, an investigation recently conducted across the country by the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in Nigeria proved that hundreds of projects purportedly executed with Ecological Funds were never carried out, though payments for them were made to contractors. The report, which covered the six geopolitical zones, exposed the massive disservice to various communities who were shocked to learn that funds for the ecological problems that had bedeviled them were channeled into corrupt pockets.
Given the geography of the country, virtually every portion of its vast territory is vulnerable to one ecological problem or the other. Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital, stands on the verge of vanishing to coastal erosion within the next 50 years, if adequate measures are not taken now. Just as well, moving inland and the central parts of the country, the land is affected by the incidence of gully erosions that threaten whole communities, imposing grave risk to buildings, farmlands, factories and many vital infrastructure, to name a few invaluable assets. This is just as several states in the northern part of the country are affected by expanding desertification.
The diversion of the funds qualifies as unpardonable acts by the looting governors and their co-travelers. We call on the Buhari administration to thoroughly investigate the allegations and facilitate, not only the prompt prosecution of all affected politicians and civil servants, but to ensure the recovery of the looted funds. Previous administrations had looked the other way when alarms were raised over the misuse to the Funds. This government should take steps to restore the integrity of the Fund so that it is no longer treated as free cash for the boys.