Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations of missing N300 billion public funds.
The organisation said the funds documented in the 2017 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF) were either mismanaged, diverted or stolen.
SERAP gave government 14 days within which to order Malami and the anticorruption agencies to promptly investigate “ the extent and patterns of widespread and endemic corruption in the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) indicted in the audited report. We urge you to take meaningful and effective measures to clean up an apparently entrenched system of corruption in these MDAs.
“We request that you take the recommended action within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute legal proceedings to compel your government to act in the public interest.”
The letter was copied to Malami; Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye; Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed.
In the letter dated July 4, 2020 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said the 2017 audited report reveals grim allegations of mismanagement, diversion and stealing of public funds, as well as unaccounted-for spending.
It said the report suggests a grave violation of the public trust, and that the indicted MDAs and the National Assembly lack effective and credible internal processes to prevent and combat corruption.
According to SERAP, “Investigating and prosecuting the alleged grand corruption documented by the AGF would improve the chances of success of your government’s oft-repeated commitment to fight corruption and end the impunity of perpetrators. It will improve the integrity of MDAs, serve the public interest, as well as improve Nigerians’ access to public services and goods.
“Any failure to promptly investigate the allegations and prosecute suspected perpetrators would breach Nigeria’s anti-corruption legislation, including the Public Procurement Act, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and the country’s obligations including under the UN Convention against Corruption and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
The letter, read in part: “It would also mean that Nigeria is failing to fulfil the obligations under the covenant to use its “maximum of available resources” to progressively realize and achieve basic economic and social rights, including access of Nigerians to public services and goods like quality education, healthcare, clean water and regular electricity supply, as well as the right to honest public services.”
The organization claimed to have carefully analysed the 2017 audited report by the AGF and our analysis reveals the following grim allegations of mismanagement, diversion and stealing of public funds, as well as unaccounted-for spending.
It alleged for instance: “The Federal Civil Service Commission spent ₦25,856,279.00 on behalf of Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop online recruitment in April 2014 without any supporting memo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and without due process. Although the project was suspended, the Commission went ahead and paid ₦25,856,279.00 for contract not executed. The AGF recommended the full recovery of the public funds.
The nation.
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