Reps detect Great Green Wall tree planting scheme allegedly costing N81.2b

The National Agency for the Great Green Wall allegedly spent a staggering 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.

There are nine states in total: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno.

The legislators who spoke at the investigative hearing on “Utilization of ecological funds released to National Great Green Wall from 2015 to date” voiced their displeasure with the conflicting financial reports provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Agency, and questioned some of the expenditures made during the period under consideration.

The legislators who spoke after carefully reading the documents provided to the Ad-hoc Committee claimed that N11.28 billion was spent on capital projects, including claiming ownership of some projects completed by lawmakers under the Constituency Project as its project and excluding three States from the tree-planting initiative. These projects included spending N697.372 million, an additional N500 million, and N480.657 million on renovation of office space.

The lawmakers also questioned the justification for Wareho utilizing several billion naira in the Agency’s account without returning them to the government’s coffers in accordance with the rules at the time.

The MPs expressed regret that the Agency had not conducted a financial audit since its creation and expressed disapproval of the enormous sums spent on capacity building and other subheads that are unrelated to the Agency’s duties as outlined in the Act.

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 inability to substantiate most of the tree planting programs carried out thus far.

Remember that in 2015, certain Federal Ministry of Environment employees fraudulently laundered N1 billion on behalf of the Agency; however, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses were able to retrieve the money.

The investigators discovered that the Bureau de Change and a few financial institutions worked together to conduct the illegal transfers.

The Central Bank of Nigeria reported in a 6-page document dated August 22, 2023, with Reference No. BKS/CSO/CON/NASS/005/082 that the Agency’s account has held a total of N9,465,960,382.57 since 2015.

Only one of the seven accounts opened by the Agency was a mandated account, according to CBN Director Mr. Samuel Okudere, who revealed this in his presentation.

According to the data provided by Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, Accountant General of the Federation, a total of N19.378 billion has been disbursed to the Agency since February 2019 from the Derivation & Ecology Accounts.

Additionally, the Agency also received N11.02 billion in capital expenditures from the AGF.

The Director of the AGF, Mrs. Irene Nwangwu, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has given his approval for the disbursement of N2.309 billion to the Agency as a September 2020 Statutory 5% Ecology Fund.

Dr. Yusuf Bukar, the managing director of NAGGW, said in response to questions from the lawmakers that the Great Green Wall Act, which was signed by the President in 2015, allows the Agency to carry out the Nigerian component of the program as an African Union initiative being implemented in 11 countries across Africa to cogently address the issue of land degradation, desertification, drought, climate change, and the livelihood of affected communities.

He said that the Agency had planted one million trees in Borno, Yobe, and other states, spending N2.4 billion in the first phase and N7.3 billion in the second.

He continued, “Fund accruing into the Agency’s account include: 15% of the ecological fund for the Great Green Wall, contribution of fund from the Natural Resources Development Fund, and gifts, loans, and grants in aid from national bilateral, multilateral organizations, donors, international and development agencies, as well as individuals.”

He could not give pertinent papers regarding the total amount collected to date while saying that the Agency receives funding from donor agencies.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the Agency has strayed from its initial mandate when responding to inquiries about different violations in the execution of its tasks.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas described the purpose of the Ad-hoc Committee’s investigation during the flag-off of the hearing:

every release and every donation from donors or international organizations since 2015; The use of ecological funds released to the Great Green Wall by international organizations; all contracts granted to different contractors for the project from 2015 to date; the total amount received through the policy; and the degree of compliance with the goals and objectives of the projects. All budgetary and other Federal allocations to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall from 2015 to date.

The objectives of this investigative hearing, according to Abbas, who was represented by Hon. Dickson Tarkir, are to gather 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 funds and making sure they are 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.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Isma’ila Dabo, noted that this investigation was necessary in order to provide fair hearings to all parties and for all issues affecting the successful implementation of the project to be brought to the table given the persistence of these environmental challenges despite funds invested in the program from both the federal government and international partners.

In order to verify the claims, he stated that “after this hearing, we shall embark on, an on-the-spot assessment tour of all the projects done under this scheme.

“The Ad-hoc committee is determined to carry out this task in the best interests of all Nigerians. We are merely here to make sure that public monies are used for the intended purpose and not to embarrass any person or organization. When required, we won’t hesitate to accuse anyone, not out of personal malice but merely for the sake of our country.