The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) is back in the headlines, this time urging President Bola Tinubu to investigate ₦57 billion allegedly “missing, diverted, or stolen” from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.
In a statement released on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, didn’t mince words, demanding that Tinubu direct the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to get to the bottom of the allegations. SERAP’s anger stems from the 2021 audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which last week unveiled what can only be described as financial recklessness at best or outright theft at worst.
“The allegations amount to stealing from the poor,” SERAP stated bluntly. “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.” But is there really? In a system where similar scandals have come and gone without repercussions, one has to wonder if this latest call for justice will amount to anything more than hot air.
According to SERAP, the alleged corruption represents a “grave violation of public trust, the Nigerian Constitution, and the country’s anti-corruption legislation.” The group insists that anyone found guilty should face the full force of the law, and every kobo of the missing money must be recovered.
Among the damning revelations in the Auditor-General’s report is the claim that over ₦54 billion allocated to pay stipends for Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees from August to December 2021 simply vanished. “The money was not directly paid to the beneficiaries,” the report noted, suggesting it “may have been diverted.” May? That feels like a polite understatement for a situation where public funds routinely disappear without a trace.
The Auditor-General has called for the funds to be recovered and for those responsible to be sanctioned according to Financial Regulations. Does anyone believe this will happen? Nigeria’s track record with corruption cases suggests otherwise.
And what about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? When this issue first surfaced, the EFCC made noise about investigating it. But as with many corruption probes, the momentum fizzled out. They raised made headlines, and then… silence. What’s the point of starting a case if it will only be abandoned halfway?
SERAP rightly pointed out that this isn’t an isolated case. “Hundreds of billions of naira are reportedly missing in other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies,” the. For a country struggling with widespread poverty, such scandals are not just financial crimes, they are moral failings. How can a government tasked with alleviating poverty allow this level of rot? Tinubu has been presented with an opportunity to prove his administration is different.
