UNICEF is a respected organisation all over the world, but it seems in Nigeria, the international organisation is beginning to lose credibility.
The United Nations’ Children Fund in Nigeria has been working with corrupt government officials who swindle a number of people, including journalists.
Or how can you explain that it’s been five months now since UNICEF Nigeria promised to refund me for a trip I embarked on from Lagos to Abuja to attend a function sponsored by UNICEF on 15 September 2015 at their invitation.
I was invited along with other people, including several other journalists to attend the Launch of the year of action to end violence against children.
After the programme, promises were made and papers were signed assuring me that all my expenses would be refunded within a week or two. Since then, it’s been one story or another.
UNICEF NIGERIA claims that the money was paid into the account of the ministry of information to pay me and others.
The ministry of information claims that the money was sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria as part of the Treasury Single Account, TSA, an apex bank policy which compelled all government agencies, known for gargantuan corruption, to stop having multiple bank accounts with commercial banks, but open a single account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
While that was not even understandable for money that did not belong to the ministry, we still gave them the benefit of doubt, and waited for several months, and after several complaints, we were finally informed by officials at the ministry that they had received back our money from the TSA and would pay us within two weeks.
Two weeks came and went, but the story remained the same. At a point, ministry officials stopped communicating and UNICEF NIGERIA has failed to do anything about it.
It’s been almost 144 days now that we have been waiting in vain. All we have been meeting are silence, excuses, lies and arrogance.
On the phone, officials at the ministry get upset once I mention the issue.
It is, therefore, my opinion that UNICEF NIGERIA, by this single failure to act, has demonstrated total inefficiency and lack of leadership and something fast should be done to change how they deal with ministry officials or change its entire leadership as soon as possible for gross inefficiency and corruption.
Diverting money meant to raise awareness, or to beam some light on atrocious violence against children erodes UNICEF NIGERIA of trust and makes the respected organisation look like a cesspool of corruption.
It is even incomprehensible that UNICEF NIGERIA cannot sort out payments directly to its guests when it knows very well that the officials it works with are extremely corrupt and untrustworthy.
It seems therefore that it’s a highly organised financial crime between UNICEF officials and ministry officials.
This is sad because UNICEF NIGERIA officials are already well paid. But that does not seem to be enough for them. They still need to grab little money meant for others.
While I can publish my tragic experience on my well read online newspaper, simonateba.com, and share the article on my online platforms followed by thousands of readers, many others who are not journalists, I am told, had been swindled without any platform to tell their stories and disappointment.
These diversions are just the tip of the iceberg as I am told that money meant for other things is being diverted.
It is, indeed, sad that money paid by governments and thousands of sponsors to UNICEF can end up being diverted with the connivance of corrupt UNICEF NIGERIA officials.
I simply want my money today. Enough is enough.
Simon Ateba is the publisher of Simonateba.com in Lagos.