NEWS
SERAP Urges Tinubu To Probe Missing N57bn In Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, Others
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Ahmed 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.”
The SERAP alleged that, “hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs].”
It maintained that the damning revelations are documented in the 2021 audited report released last week by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
The 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.”
Consequently, the 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 its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the SERAP stated, “The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.”
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According to the 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.”
“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.”
“SERAP urges you to address the widespread and systemic corruption in ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs], as documented by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, including in the 2021 audited report and previous reports.”
“Tackling corruption in MDAs would go a long way in addressing the budget deficit and debt problems.”
“SERAP urges you to immediately enforce the judgment by Hon. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordering your government to release the spending details of N729 billion by Mrs Sadia Umar-Farouk, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development.”
“Investigating the allegations and naming and shaming and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing public funds and recovering the funds would end the impunity of perpetrators.”
“SERAP notes that the consequences of corruption are felt by citizens on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to additional costs to pay for health, education and administrative services.”
“SERAP notes that the Senate and the House of Representatives recently approved a $2.2 billion loan request from your government. The loan, equivalent to N1.767 trillion, would be part of the funds used to finance the N28.7 trillion 2024 budget.”
“According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the national debt increased from ₦97.34 trillion in December 2023 to ₦121.67 trillion in March, partly due to exchange rate fluctuations.”
“The total domestic debt stands at ₦65.65 trillion (46.29 billion dollars), while the total external debt is ₦56.02 trillion (42.12 billion dollars) as at June 2024.”
“A moratorium on borrowing would create a temporary debt standstill, and free up fiscal space for investment in Nigerians’ needs.”
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.”
“Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.”
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.’
“Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the country’s wealth and hold public officials to account for any violations.”
“Specifically, article 26 of the UN convention requires your government to ensure ‘effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions’ including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption.”
“Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations.”
The continual hounding of independent voices by the Nigerian Government has seen investigative journalist, David Hundeyin throw in the towel.
Hundeyin vented his frustration with failure to raise Nigeria’s national consciousness to desired levels, despite dedicating over six years to the project.
He made the disclosure in a statement on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Monday.
According to him, the Nigerian Government has been busy networking with other nations on his repatriation while Nigerians snore because “my fundamental objective – to help uplift the consciousness of my people – has not had any success. Basically, I have failed. Whatever I’ve been doing is not working.”
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He wrote, “At the end of the day, if people tell themselves a lie long enough that they start to believe it and make real-world decisions based on it, the loser is not me.
“My life is an open book. Literally. A 590-page book you can find on Amazon or Roving Heights. There’s nothing about me, my personal history, or my motivations that is a secret.
“If the urge to believe things about me that came out of someone’s hallucinations outweighs the importance of the value that I create, then I’m clearly not creating enough value for my people, which is fine.
“The thing is that I cannot really do more than I have already done. I’m already at my physical and mental limits. I have gone through things and put myself through experiences that normal people will never witness in 3 lifetimes.
“One thing I have always been very clear about is that my motivations are internal. I have always believed that I have to do what I have to do because it is nobody else’s job to fight for my future and that of my unborn children. I’ve never done any of this for external validation. I live way too much inside my own head for any of that to matter anyway.
“So if the situation now is that the ability of a noisy minority to poison the well of public opinion with some of the most malicious and mean-spirited lies in existence outweighs the urgency of what I try to do in a space where 200 million people are being constantly manipulated and casually exterminated like they’re 200 million ducks or catfish, then I have to acknowledge that I have failed.
“Even right now, Nuhu Ribadu’s NSA Office has been busy speaking to the authorities in Kenya, Ghana and the UK as recently as last week, while they continue to work on their obsession of bringing me to Abuja as a trophy for Emperor Bola Ahmed.
“And yet what is apparently important for public discussion is who I married or who I had sex with, plus some malaria hallucinations from a failed former journalist who never accomplished anything in his career. These are the things my people are discussing. Even at this late hour, we don’t know who our enemies are and who is on our side.
“This can only mean that my fundamental objective – to help uplift the consciousness of my people – has not had any success. Basically, I have failed. Whatever I’ve been doing is not working. I’ve spent nearly 6 years of my life on a project that hasn’t moved public consciousness forward one single inch from where I met it in 2019. I put myself into a lot of trouble along the way, but it didn’t really amount to much.
“So this is a message to @NuhuRibadu. You can leave me alone and stop talking to Ruto and Akufo-Addo about refouling me. I will not disturb you people anymore. I’ll focus on my Pan-African political commentary and news about the Sahel region, but I’m leaving the Nigerian space for you. I clearly overestimated both myself and my people.
“The mistake was mine.”
A fire that broke out on Sunday evening along Obodoukwu Road, near the Relief Market in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, has destroyed goods and property worth millions of naira.
The blaze caused panic and confusion as traders and residents scrambled to salvage their belongings.
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Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started in one of the shops and quickly spread to others.
“We observed thick smoke coming out from one of the shops, and before we knew what was happening, it started increasing fast,” said Ndubuisi, a local trader.
“The few traders that were around, along with some residents and passers-by, tried to fight the fire before the firefighters arrived.”
Despite their efforts, many shop owners were unable to save their goods. “Some of the victims could not take anything out of their shops,” Ndubuisi added.
“I can say that goods worth millions of naira were lost to the fire. We can’t say what caused the fire, but we pray that God comes to their aid.”
The cause of the fire remains unclear, but it caused significant damage to several shops filled with various goods.
The Anambra State Fire Service confirmed the incident on Monday, stating that it received a distress call at 4:19 pm on Sunday, November 24, 2024.
In response, two fire trucks from the Okpoko Fire Station and Main Market Fire Station were dispatched, along with additional firefighting equipment.
Fire Chief Chukwudi Chiketa confirmed that the firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, preventing it from spreading further.
He said, “Our firemen were able to contain the fire and prevent it from escalating to other structures. The fire affected a few shops, but thankfully, no lives were lost.”
The Fire Service also issued a public safety reminder, urging residents to remain vigilant and fire-conscious. They concluded their operations at approximately 7:39 pm.
As investigations into the cause of the fire continue, local authorities are assessing the extent of the damage.
In a decisive move to prevent potential unrest, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has convened an emergency security meeting to address tensions between the indigenes of Isanlu and Fulani settlers.
The meeting followed allegations that a Fulani settler was killed by members of the Isanlu community, sparking fears of reprisal attacks.
The high-level meeting, held at the Government House in Lokoja, brought together representatives from both groups, traditional rulers, and security agencies.
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According to the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, the governor returned from a scheduled trip to Abuja to tackle what he described as “rising security temperatures in Isanlu.”
Fanwo stated, “The Governor had a robust meeting with the people of Isanlu and the Fulanis where he listened to their grievances and addressed them accordingly.
“He frowned at a situation where people would take laws into their hands by killing fellow humans, saying such is unacceptable and that perpetrators will face the full wrath of the law.”
As part of measures to address the crisis, Governor Ododo suspended a traditional ruler linked to the incident and ordered a thorough investigation of other community leaders in the area.
He also urged leaders in Isanlu to identify and expose criminal elements within their ranks to prevent further violence.
“The Governor, without mincing words, also challenged the leadership of the Isanlu community and its environs in Yagba East to sensitize their people on the need to stop constituting security threats in the area by taking the laws into their hands.
“He particularly told them to stop harboring criminals and to ensure that criminal elements among them are reported and handed over to law enforcement agencies,” Fanwo added.
Governor Ododo also commended the Fulani settlers for their restraint and refusal to retaliate. “We commend the Fulanis for showing maturity and understanding during this difficult time. Their commitment to peace and security is appreciated,” he said.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all residents, while maintaining a firm stance against criminality.
“No criminal will be spared. My administration will go after every criminal in the state, regardless of tribe,” he declared.
Hon. Dare Joshua, Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area, thanked the governor for his swift response, which he said prevented a major security crisis.
The meeting, attended by top government officials, security agencies, and community leaders, concluded with both parties agreeing to embrace peace and collaborate with the government to ensure lasting security in the region.
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