Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open
\nletter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to use his leadership
\nposition to \u201cdirect the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
\nJustice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and\/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies
\nto without delay investigate the alleged payment of N17 billion to the
\nNational Assembly as \u2018election expenses\u2019 of its members to pass the 2015
\nbudget, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence,
\nprosecute anyone suspected to be involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization also urged the president to \u201cinstruct the Attorney
\nGeneral and\/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to publish the report
\nof any such investigation including the names of anyone that may have
\nbenefited from the public funds, and to ensure the recovery of proceeds of
\ncorruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization said it would \u201cinstitute legal proceedings to compel your Former finance minister under president Goodluck Jonathan government Mrs But in the letter dated 1 June 2018 and signed by SERAP deputy director According to the organization, \u201cThe illicit or improper nature of the The organisation said: \u201cAllowing lawmakers to enjoy illicit benefits is an The statement read in part: \u201cThe required elements of the offence of \u201cSERAP notes that the alleged N17 billion bribe has increased attention to \u201cInvestigating the allegation, identifying those suspected to be involved \u201cThe ultimate object of any government is to promote good governance and \u201cSERAP is concerned that the allegation of budgeting N17 billion for \u201cWe note that the Attorney General is a defender of public interest and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to use his leadership position to \u201cdirect the Attorney General of the Federation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n
\ngovernment to act in the public interest if these steps are not taken
\nwithin 14 days<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of the receipt and\/or publication of this letter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNgozi Okonjo-Iweala had alleged on page 80 of her book titled Fighting
\ncorruption is dangerous, that \u201cN17 billion was forced into the budget for
\nelection expenses of members of the National Assembly with the agreement
\nof its leadership. The funds became the price to pay to have the 2015
\nbudget passed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nTimothy Adewale the organization said, \u201cThe allegation of budgeting N17
\nbillion as election expenses of lawmakers suggests a fundamental breach of
\narticle 15 of the UN Convention against Corruption, which Nigeria has
\nratified. Using public funds as election expenses of lawmakers is contrary
\nto the convention, which prohibits bribery and requires the authorities to
\nensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nelection expenses is buttressed by the fact that the election of any
\nlawmaker is a \u2018benefit\u2019 to him\/her and not a matter of public interest or
\nlegitimate public spending, and implicitly amount to an abuse of
\nlegislative powers for private gain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\narbitrary or unjust exercise of executive functions. Facilitating N17
\nbillion as election expenses has undercut access of millions of Nigerians
\nto public services, as the funds could have been legitimately spent on
\nservices such as health, education, electricity supply or public
\ntransportation that those with few resources are dependent upon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nbribery are those of promising, offering or giving something to a public
\nofficial, such as the alleged N17 billion for election expenses of
\nlawmakers. The allegation that the members of the executive allowed the
\nNational Assembly to have their way on the N17 billion also suggests
\ngiving the lawmakers an undue advantage to get the 2015 budget passed. The
\nundue advantage or bribe also seemed linked to the official duties of
\nlawmakers to induce the passing of the budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nthe growing lack of transparency and accountability of the National
\nAssembly, and the corresponding loss of trust and faith by Nigerians in
\nthe budgeting process and disillusionment in their lawmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nand ensuring that they are promptly brought to justice as well as ensuring
\nrecovery of any proceeds of corruption would help address the crisis of
\nintegrity in the National Assembly and contribute to improving public
\ntrust as well as promote access of Nigerians to an honest public service.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nthe greatest happiness of the greatest number. This means stopping
\narbitrariness in the budgeting process, and in the use of public funds as
\nwell as replacing privilege with transparency and accountability that
\ncharacterize a democratic society.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nelection expenses of lawmakers if proven would amount to gross violations
\nof law, abuse of power, and bribery, and indeed, undermining the
\nlaw-making and budgeting process. We urge your government to use this case
\nas an opportunity to demonstrate its willingness to comprehensively
\naddress the endemic flaws and corruption in the budgeting process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nhas the powers under Section 174(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999
\n(as amended), to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against
\nanyone suspected to be responsible for acts of corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n