On Thursday, the West African Law Students’ Association (WALSA) urged President Bola Tinubu to set up a special committee to monitor the utilisation of World Bank loans and other interventions from donor partners.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the association’s president, Nazir Sunusi, said the committee would ensure the effective use of such funds.

Mr Sunusi urged the president to take steps to ensure that loans did not end up in private bank accounts used to improve the living standard of Nigerians, particularly for youths, women and children.

He stated, “We need restructuring of the usage of these funds, implementations and outcomes. We request that the government should set up a committee to look into this quickly.

“We want it to be used transparently on sustainable empowerment and support programmes that will be open to the public to verify. Let us impact the less privileged by channelling the money on sustainable empowerment and support.”

Mr Sunusi added, “The government should direct that funds should be earmarked for sustainable empowerment to communities, LGAs, villages, etc. so that the vulnerable that the funds are meant for will benefit.”

He said it was unfortunate that in the past, a large chunk of World Bank loans had been spent on advocacy, meetings, and consultancies.

“We don’t want our loans to be used again on any advocacy, meetings or consultancy, even paying for office rent,” Mr Sunusi stressed. 

(NAN)