By Shola Abayomi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has enjoined civil society organizations to keep a close watch on implementation of Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) in the country.
This, the commission noted will ensure that the deliverables of the SIPs get to its target beneficiaries.
The acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, represented by the agency’s head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren at the 15th Anti- Corruption Situation Room in Kaduna on Tuesday, gave the charge in a goodwill message.
The event organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) was themed, “Corruption and its threat to peaceful coexistence.”
Uwujaren disclosed that the EFCC had received numerous complaints about the implementation of social investment schemes in the country.
He cited the Anchor Borrowers Scheme investigated in the Gombe office of the commission, where bags of sand were fraudulently packaged and supplied as fertilizer.
He reiterated the need for civil society organizations to play more active roles in monitoring the execution of empowerment programmes for the overall benefit of the people.
Uwujaren took a swipe at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) whose impact according to him, was yet to be felt by the people of the Niger Delta despite its huge resource allocation over the years.
He emphasized that Nigeria cannot afford a similar recurrence with its social investment programmes.