The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to launch an investigation into allegations of over N57 billion in missing, diverted, or stolen public funds from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.
In a letter dated November 23, 2024, and signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP highlighted findings from the 2021 Auditor-General’s report, which exposed multiple instances of financial mismanagement within the ministry.
Key allegations include the failure to pay N54.63 billion in stipends meant for Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and trainees between August and December 2021. Additionally, N2.6 billion allocated for the school feeding program during the COVID-19 pandemic was reportedly paid to five contractors for projects that were never executed.
Other irregularities cited include N78 million spent on a COVID-19 response survey without approval, N39.5 million reimbursed as “personal donations” to the minister, and N400 million unaccounted for in stipends for independent monitors. Contractors were also paid N287 million without adequate documentation.
SERAP called the allegations a betrayal of public trust and a violation of Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws and international obligations. The group demanded that anyone implicated be prosecuted, and any missing funds be recovered and returned to the treasury.
“The allegations amount to stealing from the poor,” SERAP stated. “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.”
The letter also urged Tinubu to impose a moratorium on federal borrowing, citing Nigeria’s mounting debt crisis, and ensure public funds are used for the welfare of citizens.
This latest call for action comes amid broader concerns about financial misconduct across government agencies and an earlier court judgment mandating the release of details on N729 billion in public spending by former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk.