The President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has been warned not to divert the money meant for its Social Investment Programmes (SIP) to finance its 2019 general elections.
The Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, gave the warning on Monday in Benin, while speaking at an event held to mark the 2018 International Human Rights Day, with the theme “Security Reform: A Step Towards Safeguarding Citizens Rights.”
He said the localized theme: “Stand Up For Human Rights,” also fits into the global theme.
Represented by his Deputy, Leo Otakpo, Ugolor said the budget for the Social Investment Programme should be protected and deployed fully to the targeted vulnerable citizens and groups in the country.
He also said that there are rights specifically announced for the special class of humans such as People Living With Disability, rights of children and the girl-child in particular.
He added that these set of persons should be protected and supported in order to benefit from these rights.
Ugolor who said the debt profile of the country stands at about $22.083 billion, with 26 percent of the annual budget spent on servicing it, added that the money could have been used to strengthen the health, education and transportation sector of the nation for the sole benefits of her citizens but such has been a mirage.
“The debt profile of Nigeria as at the end of June this year, has risen to about $22.083 billion with 26 percent of the annual budget spent on debt servicing.
“These monies could have been used to strengthen the health, education and transport sector of the nation for the sole benefits of her citizens,” he said.
ANEEJ boss further advised Nigerians to go out en-mass to vote for the candidates that will bring about good governance, transparency and accountability in the leadership of the country in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Ugolor had earlier at an event to mark world anti-corruption day, disclosed that ANEEJ deployed over 500 personnel to monitor the disbursement of the recovered $322.5 million Abacha’s loot by the Federal Government to the poorest of the poor in the country.
He said the decision was in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the federal government of Nigeria signed with the Swiss government before the money was released.
He said 500 filed monitors, 11 supervisors and 22 deputies were drawn from members of the Nigerian Network on Stolen Asset (NNAA) and other civil society organizations across the country.
He said the monitors will be interfacing with about 300,000 beneficiaries of the federal empowerment programme in 16 states of the federation to ensure that the monthly N5000 get to them directly
