The House of Representatives has constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the utilisation of ecological funds released to the Great Green Wall by the International Organizations from 2015 to date.
The committee was also mandated to investigate all federal allocations to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) as well as contracts awarded to various contractors for the project from 2015 to date.
The House further mandated the ad hoc committee to investigate the total sum received through the policy and the level of compliance with the goals and objectives of the project and report back within four weeks for further Legislative action.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion jointly moved by Hon. David Fuoh, Hon. Zacharia Nyampa, Hon. Shetima Lawan and Hon. Olusola Fatoba.
Moving the motion, Fuoh said he Great Green Wall Initiative for the Sahara and Sahel Programme was initiated and adopted by the Head of Governments and States of the African Union in 2005 to address the issues of desertification, land degradation, Bio-diversity loss, promote climate change resilience by ecosystems and communities and improve food security in about 21 countries of the Sahel region in Africa.
The lawmaker explained that the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGVW) is a Nigerian federal agency under the Federal Ministry of Environment, established to address land degradation and desertification and support communities to adapt to climate change in the Nigeria States of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa,Yobe and Zamfara.
He said 100 households are targeted for this programme and about 16,800 women and youths would be beneficiaries of the initiative to combat the effect of climate change as Nigeria worked toward the 2060 target of zero carbon emission that pollutes air.
Fuoh stressed that Nigeria’s commitment to global environmental sustainability and achievement of the Country’s Nationally Determined Contribution’s (NDC) has been pegged at 20 per cent emissions reduction, saying this was an unconditional commitment by Nigeria, to the world while it strived to meet the globally set standard of 47per cent emission reduction conditionally adopted as a target by 2030.
He recalled that the 2021 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization countries claimed to have spent about $200 million in the Great Green Wall since the project began;
Fuoh said: “Also informed that the barricaded garden contract was to raise over 76,000 assorted seedlings and the projects were awarded by NAGGW to Dabellfari Nigeria Limited (N6, 390,932.08) and KLGM International Limited (N2, 689,442.5) in 2017, aside from the lump sum, there was EU and FAO support of 20m Euros (N8.2 billion) and $4 billion (N1,4 trillion) from the United Nations which totals (N1, 452,260,000,000);
‘Concerned that from the findings, $4 billion commitment was joint support from France, African Development Bank (AFDB), Global Environment Facility ($115, million), World Bank ($1.9 billion) and aid from some African Leaders, in 2015 during COP 21, the (AFDA) President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina revealed that the Bank has so far released $22 billion for the project and pledged to mobilize an additional $50 billion to provide clean energy for Africa including the Sahara-Sahel region.”
Fuoh expressed worry that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (NNCCD) through Joint Support Commitment made available $8 billion to support all 20 African countries including the 11 primary nations and Nigeria’s 11 front-line states.
He stressed that the federal government had through the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) earmarked expenditure of M182, 988,974 for the communities and another N200 million for what it termed the “Starter Pack” for women in the areas.
He expressed worry that despite all the funds released from International Organizations, foreign donors and Nigerian government through yearly budgetary allocations, nothing tangible was on ground to justify the release made so far.
The House therefore resolves to, “Constitute an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate: the utilization of ecological funds released to the Great Green Wall by the International Organizations from 2015 to date.”
“All federal allocations to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) as well as contracts awarded to various contractors for the project from 2015 to date.”