Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) under the project, “Monitoring of Recovered Assets in Nigeria Through Transparency and Accountability” (MANTRA), on Wednesday, paid an Advocacy Visit to the Benue State Cash Transfer Unit (SCTU), in Makurdi, where they sought partnership to monitor disbursement of Abacha loot and other recovered loot in the country.
The civil society organization said the disbursement; management and monitoring of the funds cannot be left to government alone hence the need to straighten partnerships to ensure that it is done in a manner that will improve the lives of Nigerians.
The Programmes Officer, Public Finance Management of CSJ, Fidelis Onyejegbu told newsmen shortly after the meeting that the project MANTRA intends to monitor the disbursement of the US$322.5 million Abacha loot and other recovered loots under the Cash Transfer Programme of Federal Government social investment programme.
He said the policy dialogue with government agencies involved have already been carried out.
Onyejegbu said as a major advocate in the area of Public Finance management, good governance and policy reforms, CSJ, was partnering with African Network for Environmental Justices (ANEJ) and other Civil Society Organizations to see to the effective implementation of MANTRA in Nigeria.
He noted that project MANTRA was out to “make the public more aware and knowledgeable enough to hold government accountable on issues of recovery and management of looted assets.
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“To enhance the capacity of CSOs and citizens to effectively monitor the use of the recovered $322.5 million Abacha loot, $900,000 Alamieyseigha loot and other looted assets recovered.”
According to Onyejegbu, MANTRA as a subset of the Anti-Corrupt in Nigeria (ACORN) is a project supported by the Department for international Development(DFID).
Speaking to our Correspondent shortly after the Advocacy visit, the Acting Head Benue State Cash Transfer Unit, (SCTU), Waghbo Emmanuel said the State Unit of the programme was partnering such organizations to ensure that the programme works for the benefits of the targeted Nigerians which he said were the poorest of the poor in the country.
He acknowledged the firmness of the Federal Government in ensuring that the common wealth of Nigerians which was recklessly swindled be redirected to the peoples purse through the cash transfer and other related programmes of the FG.
He commended the Benue State Government for their support in ensuring that the funds get to the targeted vulnerable citizens of the state as well as providing SCTU with office accommodation and staffing of the state unit.
