A former security adviser to the Bayelsa government, Perekeme Kpodoh, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop releasing ecological funds to the governors.

Mr Kpodoh said the recurrent destructive effects of floods across the country were enough evidence that governors were diverting ecological funds.

“The governors must be compelled to account for the ecological funds allocated to them by the federal government. These funds are supposed to be used for projects necessary to mitigate the negative effects of floods,” he said.

He advised Mr Buhari to send ecological funds directly to flood-prone communities to help them embark on projects, including constructing high-rise assembly points in their areas to deal with the recurrent disaster.

The data from the National Emergency Management Agency show that the death toll from flooding in the 2022 flood season has reached 500.

Mr Kpodoh, in a statement in Yenagoa on Wednesday, said the failures of the governors had led to the loss of lives, destruction of properties, farmlands and displacement of millions from their homes because of unmitigated flood disasters. 

Mr Kpodoh lamented that the governors were hiding under the immunity cover provided in the constitution to divert ecological funds and perpetrate other financial misdeeds recklessly. 

He said it was high time the presidency, National Assembly and civil organisations worked together to shred the veil of immunity, encouraging governors’ misdemeanour, to enable the people to hold them accountable. 

The security expert called on Mr Buhari to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to probe the governors’ diversion of the ecological funds.

“Despite collecting these billions of naira, we have not seen what these governors are doing with the money. Every year flood story remains the same. Innocent people are swept away, properties are destroyed, houses are submerged, and farmlands are wasted.

“We cannot continue like this. It is high time the Presidency, the National Assembly and civil society groups worked together to remove the immunity clause covering these governors and making them unaccountable.

“We are also calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to compel the EFCC and the ICPC to probe these governors and the diversion of funds allocated to them to solve ecological problems like flood,” he said.

(NAN)