Concern Over NGO’s Use Of FundsConcern Over NGO’s Use Of FundsBy ADA DIKE
A middle aged woman (names withheld) in an emotion-laden voice recently confessed that she resigned her appointment from a Non-governmental Ogranisation (NGO) due to mismanagement of funds by her employer. She disclosed that about 70 percent of funds realized by the agencies are used by her madam to travel to various continents for fun as well as solving her personal problem while the remaining 30 percent go into assisting the less privileged.
A Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) is a legally-constituted organization created by private persons or organizations with no participation or representation of any government. It maintains its non-governmental status in so far as it excludes government representatives from membership in the organization even if it is funded totally or partially by governments.
The number of NGOs operating in the South-Western States of Nigeria is estimated at 39. International non-governmental organizations have a history dating back to at least the mid-nineteenth century. They were important in the antislavery movement and the movement for woman's suffrage, and reached a peak at the time of the World Disarmament Conference. However, the phrase “non-governmental Organisation” only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organisation in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter for a consultative status. The vital role of NGOs and other “major groups” in sustainable development was recognized in Chapter 27 of Agenda 21 leading to intense arrangements for a consultative relationship between the United nations and Non-governmental Organisations.
Apart from 'NGO' alternative terms often used are; independent sector, volunteer sector, civil society, grassroots organizations, transnational social movement organizations, self-help organizations and non-state actors. NGOs are a heterogeneous group though a long list of acronyms has developed around the term 'NGO'. There are numerous classifications of NGOs but the typology the World Bank uses divides them into; “Operational, and Advocacy”. Operational NGO is the design and implementation of development-related projects. While an Advocacy NGO is to defend or promote a specific cause to raise awareness, acceptance, and knowledge by lobbying, press work and activist events.
NGOs exist for a variety of reasons, usually to further the political or social goals of their members or funders. Examples including improving the state of the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights 'improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda. They vary in their methods. Some act primarily as lobbyists while others conduct programmes which concern with poverty alleviation, might provide needy people with the equipment and skills to find food and clean drinking water.
Sources of funds include the sale of goods and services, grants from international institutions or national governments and private donations. People have frowned at the issue of mismanagement of funds and raised criticism on how some marketers from agents who claim to represent some agencies that cater for the less privileged agencies like, beg with reckless abandon. Others said that some NGOs are set up primarily for personal aggrandisement and enrichment. But Chiefs Mrs Oluwalana Olonisakin, the Chief Executive Officer of The Senior Women's Mentoring and Empowerment Guild, SEWMEG, an NGO which caters for less privileged girls and young women including female ex-convicts argued that such accusation that NGO owners uses 70 percent of fund realized for personal uses is untrue.
“It is absolutely not true in our organisation. This is because we the management team of SEWMEG contribute N2,000.00 monthly that issued for administrative purposes and in catering for the office. The money we get from a donor is used for the purpose it's meant for, that is, for helping the less privileged girls.” she explained.
When asked whether the NGOs in Nigeria have a governing body that would checkmate their excesses, Mrs. Olanisakin said that; “As long as your NGO is properly registered, we don't because it's like having a government ministry that does it work, no other ministry goes to probe how its faring. But what I know is that a donor will always come for an assessment visit and look at all your books, your accounts, auditor's book along others.”
She cited an example of how the Africa Women in development Fund, were satisfied with her organsiation when they paid her assessment visit in April. The SEWMEG CEO advised other NGO managers to do it with the fear of God.
“We all have a mission. If you squander the funds, God will judge you. Do what is right in the name of God and in a transparent way.” she appealed.
Also, Mr. O'Femi Kolawole, who works in the Research and Communication Unit of Journalists Against Aids, JAAIDS has appealed to journalists to expose any Non-governmental Organisation found diverting funds for private use. “One of the ways to address it, is for the media to continue to work as watchdogs. We nee to be alert and focus attention on their because accountability should be promoted so that the fraudulent NGOs would be promoted so that the fraudulent NGOs would be exposed” he said.
According to Kolawole, Journalists Against AIDS JAAIDs, a media-based NGO which was incorporated in 2000 is involved in HIV/AIDs Communication and Advocacy ensure that the virus is in the news to facilitate behavioural change. While explaining how JAAIDs gets and expends its funds, O'femi said that; “Ford Foundation is one of our core partners. Aside that there is a group in the United States of America called “Afro-beat Group”, a group of musicians which produced a musical CD and sell them to raise funds for JAAIDs after they heard about JAAIDs galvanized media report around HIV/AIDs.
“Most of the roundtable we do are in-house things and are not funded. The annual “red Ribbon Awards” which begin in 2001 to reward journalists who have done great stories on HIV/AIDs awareness and appreciate NGOs that are focusing on the virus is sponsored by the Ford Foundation, The National Agency for the Control of AIDs, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, among others.
“They are some donors who may wish to train journalists and JAAIDs has trained about 500 journalists on different topics.
“Grants are not given to individuals but in the name of an organization. Funds are meant to achieve a purpose and they are not free money that are not expected to give account for. It does not happen that way. The monies are not brought in cash but are paid directly to the organisation's account and if the donor can request for your account. For the spirit of transparency, you have to clarify how the funds are spent. It would be very rare for an NGO to get funds and divert it for personal use because donors are not father Christmas which gives without asking for accountability.”
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