Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria have said it will be monitoring the implementation of the National Social Investment Programme, (N-SIP) of the Federal government.
The decision was reached at a conference organized by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) to increase participation of CSOs in transparency of the scheme.
HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju said the forum was aimed at ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the disbursement plans through citizenship participation in the monitoring process.
He expressed delight that the N-SIP team promptly addressed hitches observed by beneficiaries in the past conferences.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, the participants commended the government for the N-SIP initiative stating that the programme is making tremendous impact in the quest to reduce poverty in the North Eastern states and across the country.
However, community leaders and school officials in some parts of the country were fingered in observed shortcomings, which bother on corruption and lack of transparency in the implementation and supervision of the programmes.
Participants encouraged citizens, States and Local Government to embrace accountability and anti-corruption campaigns and not left for the Federal government alone but should rather be inclusive.
“There should be greater community participation in the processes of the N-SIP in order for it to aid the feedback mechanism apart from its many other associated advantages. Though, the amount given to the N-SIP beneficiaries may appear small, the impact is immense and should be expanded and sustained by both the Federal and States Governments.
“In order to deal with the problems of corruption identified in the implementation of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP), the Federal Government should strengthen the School Monitoring Committee and design additional monitoring mechanisms to increase the level of transparency and accountability while anti-corruption agencies should be actively involved in the implementation process for maximum output,” the communiqué reads.
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the President on N-SIP, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, who was represented by Ms. Sola Afolayan, said as at September 10 this year, 1,349,517 poor households covering 5,483,531 individuals have been captured by the programme.
The N-SIP was put together by the Federal Government as a poverty alleviation programme covering various social and investment intervention schemes for the 36 states of the Federation.
The forum further urged beneficiaries of the N-SIP programmes to be honourable and honest in the processes of their participation in the projects.
Speakers at the conference included the Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Council Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Sadiq Isah Radda, Director General, (DG) National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari, Deans, Faculties of Law and Social Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Prof Yusuf Moud Yusuf and Prof D Gambo respectively, Borno State Coalition for Democracy and Progress, Mallam Mohammed Wuyo, the Chief Imam of Bornu State, Imam Mongunoma, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), representative, Rev Emmanuel, office of the Gombe Social Investment Programme.
Others were the EFCC Born Zonal Office, Mr. Lawrence Iwodi, Borno State NUJ Chairman, Mallam Bulawa Talba, Borno State NLC Chairman, Mallam Babakura Maina, Borno State Ministry of Information representative, Alhaji Tahir Isiaku and a host of beneficiaries under the National Social Investment Programme, N-SIP.
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