Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open
\nletter to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR requesting him to use his good
\noffices and leadership position \u201cto urgently instruct security and
\nanti-corruption agencies to forward to you reports of their completed
\ninvestigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481
\nbillion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National
\nAssembly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization also asked Buhari to \u201cdirect the Attorney General of the
\nFederation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and\/or
\nappropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution
\nof indicted officers; and to urgently halt alleged ongoing attempt by some
\nprincipal officers of the National Assembly to divert N40 billion of the
\nN100 billion allocated by your government as \u2018zonal intervention\u2019 in the
\n2017 budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the letter dated 24 March 2017 and signed by SERAP deputy director
\nTimothy Adewale the organization requested the government to \u201ctake the
\nabove recommended steps within 14 days of the receipt and\/or publication
\nof this letter, failing which SERAP will institute appropriate legal and
\npublic-interest proceedings to compel the government to discharge its
\nnational and international anti-corruption obligations and commitments in
\nthis matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the organization, \u201cUnless the principal officers indicted in
\nthe alleged padding of the 2016 budget are promptly prosecuted and any
\nstolen public funds recovered, your government will not be able to stop
\nthe alleged ongoing attempts to steal from the 2017 budget. Alleged
\ncorruption in the budget process will not just melt away or simply
\nevaporate without addressing the fundamental issue of impunity of
\nperpetrators.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization said that, \u201cAddressing alleged corruption in the budget
\nprocess by pursuing prosecution of indicted principal officers of the
\nNational Assembly will provide an important opportunity for your
\ngovernment to reignite the fight against corruption and fulfil a cardinal
\ncampaign promise, to show that your government works on behalf of the
\nmany, and not the few, as well as jumpstart economic activities and break
\nthe back of the current recession.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter read in part: \u201cPublishing the report of the investigation of
\nthe alleged padding of the 2016 budget, and prosecuting suspected
\nperpetrators are absolutely important to avoid another padding in the 2017
\nbudget, which your government can ill afford.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCorruption in the budget process takes away and erodes much needed
\nresources for public and developmental purposes. SERAP is seriously
\nconcerned about the level of secrecy surrounding the budget process in the
\nNational Assembly, which has invariably created a breeding place for
\nalleged corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSecrecy in the National Assembly has clearly gone beyond the level
\npermitted by law, and apparently served as the incubator for corruption,
\nwhile depriving the Nigerian people of a much-needed opportunity to
\ncleanse the National Assembly of persistent allegations of corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP has received very credible information from multiple sources that
\nthe Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial
\nCrimes Commission (EFCC) have now completed investigations into the
\nallegations of padding of the 2016 budget, completed their reports, and
\nindicted some principal officers of the House of Representatives and the
\nSenate. Also, the accounts of some of the principal officers containing
\nallegedly illicit funds have been frozen, and that the case files for the
\nprosecution of those indicted are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP has also received credible information from whistle-blowers about
\nongoing attempt by some principal officers of the National Assembly to
\nallegedly steal N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by your
\ngovernment as \u2018zonal intervention\u2019 (also known as constituency projects)
\nin the 2017 budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP is also aware of the alleged risk of corruption involving the $2.5
\nbudget oil bench mark increment which comes up to about N131 billion. The
\nN131 billion will be appropriated to either reduce deficit or increase
\nexpenditure or both but unless the spending of the funds is closely
\nmonitored and scrutinised, the funds may be diverted, mismanaged or
\nstolen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP is also concerned that deception in the budget process will
\ncontinue unless Nigerians are granted access to inspect the budget process
\nand other activities by the National Assembly. SERAP strongly believes
\nthat Nigerians have the right to know what their lawmakers are doing so
\nthat they are able to appraise their work and hold them to account.\u201d<\/p>\n
SERAP therefore asked Buhari to:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Urgently instruct security and anti-corruption agencies to forward
\nto him reports of their investigations into allegations of padding and
\nstealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal
\nofficers of the National Assembly, and to direct the Attorney General of
\nthe Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and\/or
\nappropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution
\nof indicted officers;
\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Direct the publication of the report of investigations by security
\nand anti-corruption bodies into the alleged padding of the 2016 budget
\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Urgently halt alleged ongoing attempt by some principal officers of
\nthe National Assembly to steal N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated
\nby your government as \u2018zonal intervention\u2019 in the 2017 budget;
\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Closely monitor and scrutinise the spending of N131 billion
\n(accrued from increased oil bench mark) allocated for additional
\nnon-constituency projects expenditure, to remove the possibility of
\ncorruption<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR requesting him to use his good offices and leadership position \u201cto urgently instruct security…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n