The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has reacted to the missing ₦3.1bn in the Ministry of finance.
The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his good offices to direct Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, who is the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to investigate allegations that over N3 billion in public funds are missing, mismanaged, or diverted from the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The charges, according to the organization, are documented in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s yearly audited reports for 2018 and 2019.
According to SERAP, anyone suspected of being responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, provided sufficient admissible evidence exists, and any missing public funds should be properly recovered.
The organization stated in a letter dated December 24, 2021, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, The reports reveal a major violation of the public trust. The Ministry of Finance, as custodian of public monies, should guarantee strict adherence to rules and regulations governing transparency and accountability.
As a vital department of government, the Ministry has a sacred duty to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of the country’s resources, according to SERAP. This entails giving strong leadership in efforts to reduce corruption in the public sector.
This leadership is critical for the Ministry to maintain the public trust and confidence that are required for its success and impact.
The allegations that N3,143,718,976.47 of public funds have gone missing will clearly amount to a fundamental breach of national anticorruption laws and the country’s international anticorruption obligations, including under the UN Convention against Corruption, to which Nigeria is a state party, SERAP said.
