SERAP raises dust over missing N4.1bn NASS funds, demands investigation

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila to urgently probe and refer to appropriate anti-corruption agencies fresh allegations that N4.1 billion of public money budgeted for the National Assembly is missing, misappropriated, diverted or stolen, as documented in the 2016 audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”

In the letter dated 15 May 2021 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “As part of its legislative and oversight functions, the National Assembly has a key role to play in the fight against corruption in the country. But little can be achieved by the legislative body in the anti-corruption fight if the leadership and members do not first confront the spectre of alleged corruption and mismanagement within their ranks.”

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SERAP is also urging Lawan and Gbajabiamila, “to identify the lawmakers and staff members suspected to be involved, and hand them over to appropriate anti-corruption agencies to face prosecution, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to ensure full recovery of any missing public funds.”

The letter, read in part: “SERAP is concerned that allegations of corruption continue to undermine economic development, violate social justice, and destroy trust in economic, social, and political institutions. Nigerians bear the heavy economic and social costs of corruption. The National Assembly, therefore, has a responsibility to curb it.

“According to the Auditor-General Report for 2016, N4, 144,706,602.68 of National Assembly money is missing, diverted or stolen. The National Assembly paid some contractors N417, 312,538.79 without any documents. The Auditor-General wants the Clerk to the National Assembly to ‘recover the amount in question from the contractors.

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“The National Assembly reportedly spent N625, 000,000.00 through its Constitution Review Committee between March and June 2016 but without any document. The Auditor-General wants the Clerk to the National Assembly to ‘recover the amount from the Committee and furnish evidence of recovery for verification.

“The National Assembly also reportedly spent N66, 713,355.08 as ‘personnel cost’ but ‘the payees in the Cashbook did not correspond with those in the Bank Statement’. The Auditor-General wants ‘the irregular expenditure recovered from the officer who approved the payments.

“The National Assembly also reportedly paid N116, 162,522.60 to some contractors between April and June 2016 without any document. The National Assembly deducted N56, 985,568.55 from various contract payments in respect of Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax but without any evidence of remittance.

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“The National Assembly also reportedly paid N126, 264,320.00 as cash advances to 11 staff members between March and December 2016 to procure goods and services but failed to remit the money.

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The letter was copied to Mr. Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman, Economic, and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and chairmen of the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.