Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu “to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe allegations that over N57 billion of public funds are missing, diverted or stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021 alone.”
SERAP said, “hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs].”
These damning revelations are documented in the 2021 audited report released last week by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.”
SERAP urged him to “use any recovered stolen funds to fund the deficit in the 2025 budget, and to issue an immediate moratorium on borrowing by the Federal Government to ease Nigeria’s crippling debt crisis.”
In the letter dated 23 November 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.”
According to SERAP, “The allegations also suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation and international anticorruption obligations.”
The letter, read in part: “Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviations and other ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs].”
“According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, [the Ministry] in 2021 failed to account for over N54 billion [N54,630,000,000.00] meant to pay monthly stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees between August and December 2021.
“The money was ‘not directly paid to the beneficiaries.’
“The Auditor-General is concerned that the money ‘may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury. He also wants suspected perpetrators of the diversion to be sanctioned in line with the Financial Regulations.
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“The Ministry also reportedly failed to account for over N2.6 billion [N2,617,090,786.00] of public funds meant for the ‘home grown school feeding programme during Covid-19’, as ‘the programme was never executed.’
“The money was allegedly paid to five contractors to ‘procure, package and distribute Covid-19 palliatives to Kano, Zamfara and Abia states,’” but without any trace.
“The Auditor-General fears the money ‘may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.
“The Ministry also reportedly spent over N78 million [N78,373,909.74] to ‘carry out a survey on the Ministry’s Covid-19 response to states and vulnerable groups’ but without any approval or document.
“The Auditor-General fears the money may be missing or have ended up in the pockets of ‘incompetent contractors’. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.
“The Ministry also reportedly failed to account for N39.5 million [M39,500,000.00] ‘personal donations to different personalities’. The money ‘was paid directly to the minister as reimbursement’.
“The Auditor-General fears the ‘money may have been diverted’, resulting in ‘the loss of public funds.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.
“The Ministry also reportedly failed to account for N400 million [N400,000,000.00] meant to pay ‘stipends to 4450 independent monitors for October, November and December 2021.’
“The Auditor-General fears the money ‘may have been diverted’. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.
“The Ministry also reportedly paid over N287 million [287,628,300.00] contractors ‘without any document and justification.’ The Auditor-General fears the money ‘may have been diverted’ and wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.
“These allegations by the Auditor-General are different from the allegedly missing or unaccounted for N729 billion which is the subject-matter of the judgment by Justice Deinde Dipeolu.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“The country’s wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations.
“These allegations can promptly be investigated and suspected perpetrators named and shamed. Taking these steps would advance the right of Nigerians to restitution, compensation and guarantee of non-repetition.
“Prosecuting the allegations, and recovering any missing public funds would improve the chances of success of your government’s oft-repeated commitment to fight corruption and end the impunity of perpetrators.”
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