The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into alleged ₦57 billion of public funds “missing, diverted or stolen” in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.
SERAP made the call in a statement on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
It wants the President to “direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies” to probe the allegations.
According to the statement, it referenced the 2021 audited report released last week by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
“The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations,” it said.
SERAP demanded that anyone found guilty should be punished by law, and “any missing public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.”
Probe ‘missing N57bn in Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, other funds’, SERAP tells Tinubuhttps://t.co/NOrZiZyB4r pic.twitter.com/wU9cj2Dzhg
“Hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“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 statement read.
