The alleged N37 billion fraud in Nigeria’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is not surprising, as the ministry’s operations are largely devoid of transparency and accountability.
Development Diaries reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it uncovered the amount allegedly laundered in the ministry under former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
This is a pointer that there has been mismanagement and corruption rooted in the ministry; hence, despite all poverty intervention programmes, more Nigerians are sinking deeper into the muddy waters of poverty.
If the ministry operates with openness, the use of funds and resources can be scrutinised, which will, in turn, prevent mismanagement and corruption. This transparency leads to a more streamlined distribution process, allowing aid to reach those who need it promptly.
Currently, eight agencies, including the National Social Investment Office, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internationally Displaced Persons (IDPs), are under the ministry.
How transparent have these agencies been in their operations towards alleviating poverty in Nigeria?
While the current minister, Betta Edu, keeps revealing different figures of supposed beneficiaries of various poverty alleviation programmes, Nigerians need to know the details of these beneficiaries. This information should be readily available on the ministry’s websites or those of any of its agencies.
The ministry also ought to inform the general public of how funds are being disbursed to achieve poverty and hunger alleviation.
Recall that Edu recently announced that the ministry plans to pull 50 million Nigerians out of poverty in 42 months. However, the minister did not explain how this would be achieved.
In fact, during her December 21 interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, she said 3.5 million Nigerians had already benefitted from the conditional cash transfer intervention under the present administration.
‘We have so far paid 3.5 million Nigerians N25,000 each. Of course, we are out on the field and covering another 4.5 million in the next one week, so we will have altogether close to about eight million people between now and the end of the year [2023]’, the minister said. But who are these beneficiaries?
In the face of crises such as conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and deepening poverty, the humanitarian ministry plays a crucial role in providing relief and support to vulnerable communities. But for interventions to be effective and sustainable, the ministry must operate with transparency and accountability.
Many Nigerians are not even aware of the criteria for aid distribution and decision-making processes because the ministry has failed in this area of transparency.
Development Diaries therefore calls on the minister to ensure that her ministry establishes clear guidelines, conducts regular audits, and openly reports on its activities to deter and detect corruption in the ministry and earn the trust of Nigerians.
Photo source: Min of Humanitarian Affairs
