A pressure group, women coalition for sustainable peace andviable democratic gains in Bauchi State has appealed to the Bauchi State governor,Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir and the anti-graft agencies to compel theBauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, BASOVCA thatdistributed the relief assistance donated to orphans by International Islamic
Relief Organization, a Saudi NGO to return the five percent it removed from theorphans money.Spokesperson of the group Fatima Umar made the pleayesterday in Bauchi when members of the group visited the secretariat of theNigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Bauchi state.
Fatima said her group received series of complaints from thebeneficiaries that five percent was removed from the money meant to supporttheir education, while many still complained that their names are missing.
The group said it has received concerns from thebeneficiaries that there were discrepancies in the earlier approved assistanceas beneficiaries receive different amount.
Fatima alleged that initiators of the assistance who areAngarar Yuguda and Support Initiative for Vulnerable Children SIVWoC, a non-governmentalorganization headed by a Philanthropist Hajiya Baheejah Mahmood since 2007 were sidelined by BASOVCA withoutany genuine and cogent reason.
She said sidelining the initiators of the project was thereason BASOVCA could not locate all the beneficiaries.
She appealed to anti-graft agencies, the Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices andother related offences, ICPC to intervened and investigate the distribution ofthe orphan’s money.
She said the graft agencies should immediately compel the agencythat removed the 13% and 5% from the orphans’ money to return it.
Fatima queried why an agency meant for orphans will removemoney meant for them; “the money is not state government money why would the
agency use the contribution for the orphans to cater for logistics and socalled charges? She queriedThe State Chairman of BASOVCA Mrs Hassana Arkila during thedistribution explained that the five percent removed from the orphans’ moneywas to help the agency search for the remaining orphans that were not traced.
WikkiTimes reports that Hajiya Baheejah filed a suit beforeBauchi State High Court over the deduction of 13 percent by the immediate pastadministration, a case that is still pending.
