Nigeria. Adamawa State: The United Nations Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed the diversion of learning materials donated to help less privileged children.
The UNICEF Consultant for Education in Adamawa state, Joel Isiah described the diversion as a way of sabotaging the efforts of the Agency.
He called on the people involved in such an act to desist from it as the learning materials are made for children to help them acquire knowledge and not for personal use.
“The UN organisation has gotten reliable information that UNICEF learning materials donated and meant for vulnerable children were being sold in markets in the state. UNICEF is surprised by this.
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“When it comes to the distribution, approval and deployment of the learning materials from its warehouse to the benefiting local government areas, UNICEF works with the ministry of education, Universal Basic Education and local education authorities to attain the goal and also to reach the targeted people which the items are made for”, he said.
UNICEF further said that the organisation has given out the educational materials to eight local government areas in the state.
“We have so far supplied these materials to eight Local Government Areas and are duly received by the Local Education Authorities.
“The materials are not to be sold. It is a crime against the Children’s education rights, humanity rights and Law,” Isiah said.
The distributed items
The items consist of school bags, mathematical sets, writing books, cleaners, sharpeners among other things.
“UNICEF is imploring with the appropriate security and authorities concerned to as matter of urgency do the needful in recouping the materials back so that it can be used for what it is made for.
“Anyone found involved in the act should be brought to book irrespective of his high position in the society”, Isiah declared.
