The Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has called on all UN agencies to give account of all donor funds and make public their accounts books to justify spendings on programs targeted at Nigerian women and Children.
Kenedy-Ohaneye made this demand at a media briefing on Monday in Abuja.
According to her, the ministry would be writing to all the UN agencies asking them to justify the millions of dollars they had collected on behalf of Nigeria’s vulnerable groups even as poverty levels are on the rise.
She said the UN, which remains the global body for channeling aide from donor communities to support countries in need has failed Nigerian women and children on whose behalf it harnesses aid.
She added that the UN agencies spend the money on frivolous projects such as meetings, advocacies and oral technical support which have little or no impact on the lives of poor Nigerians.
“The people that have been in charge of sourcing funds from donors to help Nigerians are mainly the UN agencies but are they using it to help us, are we feeling the impact?
” I want Nigerians to understand that the UN raised these monies in your name to help us. On behalf of the women and children of this country, I am asking UN for account of these monies.
“I stand here as the minister of women affairs to demand from all the UN of the account of all the monies they sourced from donors in Nigeria’s name.
” So that they will prove me wrong that they write it off with meetings, oral technical support that we don’t need and so many other things that are totally irrelevant to the main reasons the donor bring in this monies.
” Nigerians are not ready to accept it again, the new president it again and if you don’t give us this account, let Nigerians see what has been going on, then you (UN) apologies to them and change your way.
” From 16 October to November 15 if we do not get those reports published for Nigerians to see, we are heading to court,” she said.
The Minister, therefore, urged the UN to make all the necessary information public to assure Nigerians that the funds were channelled appropriately.
” Nigerians have every right to look at this and we are giving them one month from today, the 16th of October 2023 to November 15th 2023.
“If by 8th of November we did not hear anything from them, we will write them a pre-action letter from this ministry on behalf of Nigeria women and children.
The minister noted that despite millions of dollars claimed to be invested by the UN to alleviate poverty in Nigeria, poverty levels have been on the rise.
