By Chimezie Godfrey
The Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani has called on relevant authorities to ensure the full implementation of various recommendations proffered in the report interrogating issues aimed at ensuring accountability in Nigeria’s humanitarian aid management.
Rafsanjani made this call during his opening remarks at the dissemination workshop tagged the Synthesis Report: Analysis of Integrity Risks In Complex Humanitarian Crises held at Transcorp-Hilton Hotel, Abuja on the 27th October, 2017.
CISLAC in conjunction wwith Transparency International (TI) Supported by European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection organized this workshop to unveil the verifiable facts contained in the Report from (TI) entitled: “Collective resolution to enhance accountability and transparency in emergencies” and how it can be implemented to curb corruption and illegal diversion of humanitarian assistance in Nigeria, and by extension Africa.
Rafsanjani said in his opening remark: “the worsening humanitarian crisis has been amplified by massive corruption an reported diversion of aids for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other victims of terrorism allegedly perpetrated by public officials saddled with the management of the North East humanitarian crisis.
“This practice which continued unchecked for years had not only exacerbated existing humanitarian crises but also eroded citizens’ confidence in humanitarian aid, especially in the North Eastern part of the country where nearly 100,000 lives and 5.9 billion property were lost to various insurgent attacks with 2,114,000 internally displaced persons.”
He said that lack of transparency and accountability in the management of humanitarian aid in Nigeria, had in August 2017, triggered violence and undesirable reactions by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who descended on humanitarian workers, destroyed property and inflicted varying degrees of injury on many in Maiduguri, Borno State.
“Similarly the lost accountability and oversight in the management of human aid led to a resolution by the Nigeria Senate to establish a Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East as well the introduction of North East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2017 which was recently assented to by the President,” he said.
A representative of Transparency International (TI) Shantai speaking on the issue of humanitarian aids said that the resources that are allocated to alleviate the suffering are being diverted. She cited as case studies the crises in North East, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Ebola crisi in Guinea.
Abraham Misoi also from Transparency International said that (TI) which is involved in Humanitarian Aid integrity Network (HAIN) having identified the challenges bedeviling humanitarian operation has come up with recommendations.
The recommendations are firstly to all stakeholders; which entails the regulation of humanitarian resources in Governments and Inter-Governmental Institutions, International and National Humanitarian Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, Private Companies, Affected populations and communities.
Secondly recommendation for Host Governments; which entails the development and strengthening of anti-corruption laws and convention, including those specifically covering humanitarian assistance and established the means of oversight, targeted research and corruption risk mapping, development of anti-corruption tools, training modules and manuals, information sharing and capacity building for government officials and humanitarian actors, awareness and advocacy campaigns built on collaborative partnerships and monitoring effective implementation.
Speaking during the questions and answers session, a representative of Ministry of Budget National Planning, Margret appreciated (TI) said, “we intend to develop a development plan for 2018, learning from the review and achievement of 2017. The ministry is doing something to address the challenges of coordination.”
Austine Irome, from (CISLAC) made an appeal to the Federal Ministry of Justice to ensure that the report on collective resolution to enhance accountability and transparency in emergency is being implemented.
A representative of Bureau of Public Procurement suggested stakeholders should create advocacy around creating a system like a national data base that will enhance the coordination and monitoring of resources for emergencies
