The National Planning Commission (NPC) has drawn the irk of lawmakers for failing to account for $6.6billion in its 2007 Appropriation Act. The fund was meant for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Chairman of the House Committee on Civil Society and Donor Agencies, Eseme Eyiboh,disclosed this in an interactive session with non-governmental organisations in the country, community-based organisations and civil societies.
The committee expressed dissatisfaction with NPC’s submission on how the alleged $6.6billion in the 2007 budget was disbursed.
The lawmakers also frowned at the trend where international non-governmental organisations enter the country with diplomatic status that gives them access to federal government facilities such as vehicles and offices, a contradiction of extant laws.
The committee therefore directed the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as well as the NPC to cooperate in ensuring that an accessible data base bank is created and sustained on both international and local NGOs. It also charged the NPC to ensure that local NGOs access funds made available by international agencies.
In its response, the representative of the Executive Secretary of NPC, Mr. Chris Ezeilo, told the committee that the NPC has commenced the process of reviewing the operations of all the donor agencies operating in Nigeria by creating a data base of their activities.