By Baba Shehu Oscu, Bauchi
Women coalition for Sustainable Peace and Viable Democratic gains in Bauchi State has appealed to the Economic Financial rime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other anti-graft agencies to investigate the manner the Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (BASOVCA) distributed the relief assistance donated to orphans by International Islamic Relief Organisation (IIRO).
Speaking to journalists at a press conference in Bauchi, the spokesperson of the group, Hajiya Addaji Muhammad said they received series of complains from the beneficiaries that 13 percent was removed from the money meant to support their education.
According to her, the organization also received many complained that their names were missing while others complained of discrepancies in the distribution as some received.
Addaji alleged that initiators of the assistance who are Angarar Yuguda and Support Initiative for Vulnerable Children (SIVWoC), a non-governmental organisation headed by a Philanthropist Hajiya Baheejah Mahmood but they were sidelined by BASOVCA without any genuine reason.
She appealed to anti-graft agencies to intervene and investigate the distribution of the orphan’s money.
When contacted the chairman, BASOVCA, Ibrahim Abdullahi, described the allegation as baseless and myopic simply as the agency only assisted IIRO to identify beneficiaries.
“We heard about the assistance through Sheikh Ibrahim Disina and we sought the approval of the State Governor who allowed us to look for the beneficiaries in all the 20 local government areas of the state. BASOVCA didn’t initiate the programme we only assist in locating the targets,” he said.
According to him, IIRO came with the list of 492 persons and didn’t get all of them also the 13 percent deduction was the money the agency used to find the whereabouts of the beneficiaries. He said it is allowed even in Islam that if one work on the wealth of the orphans it’s lawful to take your pay.
On his part, Dr Ibrahim Disina, said when he came to Bauchi he couldn’t reach Hajiya Baheejah and decided to reach BASOVCA.
He said few days later he was invited for a meeting with the Secretary to the State Government, some government officials and a staff of Stanbic IBTC bank, where he explained to them how he got the letter and how Bauchi State orphans will access the funds and other laudable programmes of the IIRO.
When contacted Hajiya Baheejah Mahmood said she is the one who initiated the programme and spent huge amount of their personal money to sponsor the registration exercise of the beneficiaries but she was sidelined at last when the money matured.
