The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has criticised alleged diversion of children learning materials in Adamawa.
Mr Joel Isiah, UNICEF Consultant for education in Adamawa, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Yola,described the development as “sabotage”.
“The UN organisation received credible information that UNICEF learning materials supplied and meant for vulnerable children were being sold in markets in the state.”
UNICEF is shocked by this.The learning materials are a donation meant to support thousands of vulnerable children in the state whose parents cannot afford or have no access to these materials,” he said.
He said that UNICEF always works with the ministry of education, Universal Basic Education and local education authorities in the movement of such materials.
“UNICEF finally approved the deployment of the materials from its warehouse to the benefitting local government areas.
“The organisation has so far supplied the learning materials to eight local government areas in the state.”
We have so far supplied these materials to eight Local Government Areas and were received by the Local Education Authorities.
“These materials are not to be sold. It is a crime against the Children’s education rights, humanity and Law,” Isiah said.
The materials, he said, are school bags, mathematical sets, writing books, cleaners, sharpeners among others.”
UNICEF is pleading with the appropriate security and authorities concerned to as matter of urgency do what is right.”
Any person found involved should be brought to book irrespective of his high position”, he said.(NAN)
