CSO faults Reps over ₦81.2bn spent by NAGGW to plant 21m trees

A Civil Society Organisation, Budget Implementation, Assessment, Evaluation and Monitoring Committee has faulted the House of Representatives over claimed that the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) spent ₦‎81.2 billion to plant 21 million trees.

Ogakwu Dominic, Coordinator of the CSO dismissed the claims while briefing newsmen in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Ad hoc Committee probing the utilisation of ecological funds released to NAGGW had uncovered ₦‎81.2 billion allegedly spent to plant 21m trees in 11 states.

Domini said the claim by the committee was lacking in merit, adding that part of its engagement with the agency was continuous monitoring and evaluation of all the agency’s activities. This according to him include zonal intervention projects and all constituency projects of the national assembly domiciled in the NAGGW.

Dominic said the amount was not only for planting of trees, adding that it was meant for other issues in line with the responsibility of the agency. According to him, the agency has a unique mandate which is transforming Nigerian Drylands through an aggressive and robust tree-planting campaign program.

He said it became imperative to check out facts to avoid a misrepresentation that could be antithetical to the achievements of the agency’s set goals. He said , Mr Yusuf Bukar, the Director General of the agency is transparent in all the activities of the agency under his watch.

“In its accountability in service, the agency has promoted local, national, and international conferences that champion the cause of planting many trees.

This according to him had created a green society that brought about ecological advantage and also saved the lives of the country’s ecological habitats. He said this had promoted the United Nation habitant agenda and climate policy of the UN, this according to him include: the Bonny Island Green Wall Development Programme.

Others are: the Northern Sahara Desert Great Green Wall Programme to mention a few. NAN reports that the 11 states where the trees were said to have been planted are: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.