The Nigerian Government has constituted a committee to monitor the disbursement and utilisation of the sum of N13.3 billion community policing take off fund to its 36 states to guard against possible diversion of the funds.
The government approved the fund for states for the takeoff of the community police initiative, according to a a statement on Thursday, August 20, 2020, by a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity (Office of the Vice President), Mr. Laolu Akande, after a virtual National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
This, he said, was in fulfilment of measures to consolidate efforts aimed at containing the security situation across the country.
The Council has however mandated the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, alongside two other governors, to liaise with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed and the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, to coordinate the proper utilization of the funding of the initiative.
Akande disclosed that the Chairman of the NEC Ad-hoc Committee on Security and Policing, Fayemi, presented reports of his assignment to the Council, noting that engagement with key stakeholders on the operationalization of community policing in the country was on-going.
The finance minister told the Council that the nation’s Excess Crude Account as at 18th of August stood at $72,408,118.44; Stabilization Fund Account, N44, 207,377,110.34 and Natural Resources Development Fund Account N144,047,195,020.54. Other reports received by Council from other ad hoc committees yesterday included reports on the COVID-19 situation in the country; flood disaster risk management in Nigeria for 2020 and the issue of compensation payments regarding federal highway projects across the country.
Responding to two presentations on COVID-19 crisis in Nigeria: one by NEC’s ad hoc committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, and the other by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the governors commended the efforts and commitment of the Federal Government in containing the spread of the disease and supporting states’ response capacity through various interventions.
The Council also received a presentation on flood disaster risk management for 2020 from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq. In attendance at the virtual NEC meeting were state governors, FCT minister, CBN governor and some federal cabinet officials.
Meanwhile, 16 states have so far received N100 million grant each from the World Bank to ease the impact of COVID-19 lockdown.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, who virtually briefed State House correspondents after the virtual NEC meeting chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, disclosed this.
The World Bank recently made a proposal of $1.5 billion to states as part of economic stimulus to cushion the impact of COVID-19. Sule said that the council received the Progressive Report of its Adhoc Committee interfacing with the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 to ease the lockdown of the economy. He listed the states as Ekiti, Gombe, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Zamfara, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross River, Imo and Delta.
The governor said that the report stated the summary Review Status of States Incident Acton Plan (IAPs) as at August 5. “All states had submitted IAPs; 35 states cleared by the World Bank; 22 signed Grant Agreement (GA) and 13 yet to return signed GA.
“Twenty-two states that signed the GA are – Ekiti, Gombe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Plateau, Delta, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross-River, Imo, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Nasarawa and Benue. “Of the 22 states, 16 states had received N100 million grants – Ekiti, Gombe, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Zamfara, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross-River, Imo and Delta. “Five states next on the list of payment are – Plateau, Yobe, Ondo, Benue and Osun; one state is yet to communicate account details – Nasarawa,” he said
