The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged President Bola Tinubu before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly failing to order the probe of N57 billion allegedly stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.
SERAP is specifically asking the court to compel Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to work with appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate the alleged missing public funds.
The organisation is also praying the court, in the suit which is yet to be assigned to a judge, to compel the President to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation to collaborate with appropriate anti-graft agencies to prosecute anyone suspected of being responsible for the missing N57 billion if sufficient admissible evidence is available, and to recover any missing public funds.
In an affidavit attached to the suit, SERAP averred that if the government should investigate the allegations and prosecute those suspected of being responsible, as well as recovering the missing funds, it would help to end the impunity of perpetrators.
The civil society organisation further argues that the allegations represent theft from the poor, and there is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious accusations.
The plaintiff noted that low-income Nigerians continue to bear the burden of widespread and grand corruption in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and other ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
SERAP emphasised that, “The consequences of corruption are felt by citizens daily. Corruption forces them to incur additional costs for health, education, and administrative services.”
SERAP also stated that the allegations indicate a serious breach of public trust, contravening the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the country’s anti-corruption laws, and international anti-corruption obligations.
In the suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, the plaintiff submitted that granting the reliefs sought would play a significant role in addressing corruption within MDAs as well as the nation’s budget deficit and debt challenges.
SERAP said that the damning findings are documented in the 2021 audited report recently published by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation where it said “hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other 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 “failed to account for over N54 billion (N54,630,000,000.00) intended for paying monthly stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees between August and December 2021.”
This money was “not directly paid to the beneficiaries.”
The Auditor-General expressed concern that the funds “may have been diverted.” He has called for recovery of the money and its remittance to the treasury, along with sanctions against suspected perpetrators of the diversion in line with financial regulations.
In addition, the Ministry reportedly failed to account for over N2.6 billion (N2,617,090,786.00) allocated for the “homegrown school feeding programme during COVID-19,” as “the programme was never executed.”
The money was allegedly paid to five contractors for “procurement, packaging, and distribution of COVID-19 palliatives to Kano, Zamfara, and Abia states,” but there is no trace.
The Auditor-General fears that this money “may have been diverted” and has requested recovery and remittance to the treasury.
The Ministry reportedly spent over N78 million (N78,373,909.74) on “a survey on the Ministry’s COVID-19 response to states and vulnerable groups” without approval or documentation.
The Auditor-General is concerned that the funds may be missing or that they ended up in the pockets of “incompetent contractors.”
Additionally, the Ministry is accused of failure to account for N39.5 million in “personal donations to different personalities.” This amount was “paid directly to the minister as reimbursement.”