Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Reaction To The FG 9.2 Billion Clean Cookstoves Contract Lawsuit

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Monday, August 10, 2015

Reaction To The FG 9.2 Billion Clean Cookstoves Contract Lawsuit

10th August, 2015.
Press Statement



Our Reaction to the FG 9.2 Billion Clean Cookstoves Contract Lawsuit

In November 2014, the Federal Government of Nigeria approved a N9.2 Billion initiative aimed at providing healthier, cleaner cooking alternatives to rural women in Nigeria and curbing the spread of desertification caused by excessive firewood use for cooking. The Clean Cookstoves contract was awarded to Integra Renewable Energy Limited to procure 750,000 clean cookstoves and 18,000 Wonderbags in the first phase of the Clean Cookstoves campaign. 




On the 5th of August 2015, Follow The Money Team was informed that Integra Renewable Energy Ltd had filed a lawsuit against the Federal Ministry of Environment citing the cause as the apparent termination of the initial contract between the government and Integra Renewable Energy Ltd. According to sources, the Federal Government has agreed to meet with Integra Renewable Energy Ltd in court and settle the matter through the appropriate legal avenues. 

This news has been met with public outrage with allegations of fraud being levied against both the Federal Government and Integra Renewable Energy Ltd.  However this lawsuit also potentially threatens to destabilize the progress that has been made in the procurement and distribution of these clean cookstoves and Wonderbags to the women and communities that require this intervention. As such, Follow The Money seeks to ensure relevant information remains available to the public and stakeholders associated with the Clean Cookstoves campaign.


Follow The Money Team was activated in December 2014 to monitor the procurement efforts of Integra Renewable Energy Ltd, the distribution mechanisms by the Ministry of Environment, and other aspects of the initiative. Furthermore, Follow The Money Team organized and facilitated regular stakeholder meetings to provide interested and affected parties with the opportunity to learn more about the initiative and remain updated about progress that had been made. CODE also launched a media campaign to increase awareness about the benefits of the Clean Cookstoves campaign and promote transparency and accountability in all aspects of the initiative. As such, Follow The Money has been made aware of, and can verify the following facts:
Clean Cookstoves reduce firewood consumption for cooking by 80%.

As of November 2014, the Clean Cookstoves campaign was given a 12 week timeframe to achieve completion.

As of May 2015, according to Follow The Money independent estimates, only approximately 45,000 clean cookstoves, mostly LPG cylinders had been imported into the country and were being stored at the National Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria.

As of May 2015, the Ministry of Environment had received N5 Billion from the Ecological Fund Office for the initiative, and had disbursed only N1.3 Billion to the contracting company. N3.7 Billion still remained in the Ministry’s accounts and N4.2 Billion with the Ecological Fund Office.
In May 2015 the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment mentioned that the Ministry of Environment might cancel the official contract with Integra Renewable Energy.


The Clean Cookstoves initiative was formally launched by the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on the 26th May 2015.

Though the Federal Ministry of Environment eventually responded to a Freedom of Information request made by CODE, further information regarding the progress of the initiative has remained withheld from CODE and other stakeholders on the specifics of the contract awards and distribution mechanism. 


Follow The Money Team is concerned that the following lawsuit could potentially detract from the procurement and distribution of the 750,000 cookstoves and 18,000 Wonderbags. Furthermore, this cancellation of the contract and lawsuit could lead to more opportunities to increase the timeframe required to complete this initiative. As healthcare advocates and environmentalists, Follow The Money Team is determined to continue monitoring this initiative, providing insight to stakeholders, and collaborating with multiple agencies to ensure transparency and accountability are practiced by all involved agencies.



It’s important to note that as this case takes more time, our mothers and their children in local communities are at risk of losing their lives due to unclean smoke from cooking with firewood. Also, further delays will cause even more loss from our already dilapidated forest cover due to increased felling of trees for firewood which also leads to desert encroachment and threatens the Great Green Wall programme already instituted by the federal government. 
We aim to ensure that the courts of justice, which represent the rights of every Nigerian, will also encourage transparency and have both parties make the contract document available to the public and ensure accountability in the entire process moving forward.  


More information about CODE’s Follow The Money’s efforts on #WomenCookstoves can be found HERE 

Pictures of some stoves in the national stadium -  HERE  and HERE   


Signed:
Hamzat Lawal
Co-Founder, Follow The Money
 www.followthemoneyng.org



Follow The Money is an initiative of Connected Development [CODE] thatadvocates, tracks, and visualize funds meant for local communities. The Team is made up of Researchers, Data Analysts, Campaigners, Journalists, Legal Practitioners, Activists, Information Managers, Students, and Academia and Development Consultants.

Connected Development [CODE] is a non-government organization whose mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa. We strengthen local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building capacities of marginalized communities which ensure social and economic progress while promoting transparency and accountability.








22 comments:

  1. a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
    .
    God may some like jonah never rule us again.... Confused man....
    .
    .
    ***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 9.2 billion for stoves n wonder bags & another 9.2 billion for kerosene n maintenance of d stoves

      Think of a clueless country. 9ja always comes to mind

      Delete
  2. Wetin person no go hear again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Our mothers and daughters are at a risk of loosing their lives?! So it's 9.2 billion that is the way foward for cooking stove? And will they also be supplying these women with kerosine for the stoves? What kind of joke is this sef?

    ReplyDelete
  4. So The contractor already bought stoves and bla

    And

    The Ministry refused to pay.
    So they threatened to sue them.



    Then the contractor hired a PRO firm ( follow the Money)

    to

    appeal to our inner environmentally conscious conscience

    To
    Help prevent desertification and bla bla bla...

    Gosh! Who send me explanation?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Follow the money, share the money!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Follow the money,share the money!

    ReplyDelete
  7. If they have bought the stoves, why keep it in stadium. Give the stoves to the women if you are sure of what you are doing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. D firewood wey dey Don dey take cook b4 dem born u......and e no kee dem den???? Chai Jona God wee judge u

    ReplyDelete
  9. I tire for this country abeg. Imagine! N9b for stove o. I guess it will be trillions of naira if its gas cooker. Smh

    ReplyDelete
  10. Giving them stove isn't the problem what about the kerosene? Will it be available at cheaper rate? Who would be giving them the money to buy it?

    ReplyDelete
  11. You people no go read but talk rubbish, Follow the money team they advocate say #GEJ Administration gave a contractor 9.2 Billion to provide clean cook stoves and them done chop the money, the contractor only provide 1/50 of the stoves.

    Make una open sense...

    ReplyDelete

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