Food security: CISLAC asks FG to tackle corruption in ecological fund

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre/Transparency International (CISLAC)/TI-Nigeria has urged the federal government to tackle corruption in the management of ecological fund as part of measures to stem food crisis in the country.

The executive director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Mallam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, made the call in Abuja at a two-day Stakeholder Consultative Forum and the launch of “Report on Assessing the Implementation of the Great Green Wall (GGW),” aimed at assessing the extent of the implementation of the GGWI in Nigeria and use of climate funds allotted to the initiative.

He also urged the federal government to take immediate and decisive actions on insecurity, particularly on the ongoing conflict between farmers and herders.

Rafsanjani raised concerns over the alarming trend of misappropriation and misuse of ecological funds, a vital resource meant to protect the environment and communities.

“We think it is also important that ecological funds are transparently spent in this country. A lot of looting and diversion allegedly on ecological fund have happened; and therefore, it is important that government takes necessary measures to ensure that things that affect the people and the environment and the community are not taken away by some few selfish individuals,” Rafsanjani said.

He said that CISLAC as national chapter for Transparency International (TI) sought to contribute to the success of the Great Green World Initiative (GGWI) through reinforcing aspects of transparency, accountability, integrity, participation and anti-corruption.

Dr Ibrahim Muhammad Shamshudeen, the researcher who presented the report, said the project took two months to complete.