• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
Sign in
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Password recovery
Recover your password
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • EFCC

      EFCC Arrests NCAA’s Account Director, Two Others Over 2bn ‘Duty Tour…

      PHOTOS: ICPC Operatives Attacked as Young Vote Buyers Nabbed

      Efcc operatives attacked by political thugs

      Vote Buying: Political Thugs Attack EFCC Operatives

      EFCC Arraigns Professor, Indian over N1.4bn Fraud, $200,000 Thefts

      Chairman EFCC Abdulrasheed Bawa

      EFCC Under Bawa Nightmare of Corrupt Public Officers, Fraudsters – CSOs

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Minister Unveils Nigerian Navy’s Navigational Charts for Inland Waterways Development

      Passport: NIMC Urged to Justify N1,000 Fee for NIN Verification

      DG NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed

      Incessant Fire Outbreaks: NEMA Boss Laments, Calls for Nationwide Awareness

      Finally, CBN, Commercial Banks Declare Old Naira Notes Legal

      Tinubu Elumelu in Video

      That Tinubu-Elumelu Video and the PR Stunt!

  • National
    • Guber Elections: How APC, PDP, NNPP Captured 20 States… Rivers, Kaduna,…

      Map of Nigeria

      2023 Governorship Election: Live Updates from INEC IReV Results in 28…

      CISLAC boss, Musa Rafsanjani

      TMG to INEC: Redeem your image by conducting credible March 18…

      NASS Speakership: GGTI Roots for Sada Soli

      How Gov’t Can Address High Inflation Rate – ACCI

    • Government
      • Guber Elections: How APC, PDP, NNPP Captured 20 States… Rivers, Kaduna,…

        2023 Polls: BPSR, UNILAG sign MoU to Train Elected Governors

        Youth Minister Inaugurates Committee on NYSC @50 Anniversary Celebration

        NYSC Threatens Legal Action Against Persons ‘Abusing’ Corpers’ Uniform

        In Three Months, Fire Destroys Property Worth N23.3bn

  • Security
    • NDLEA Seizes 1.2m Pills of Tramadol, Intercepts Intercepts Heroin Consignment

      CDS Gen Lucky Irabor

      DHQ Reacts as Embattled Reps’ Leader, Military Troops Appear in AK-47…

      police

      Gubernatorial-Assembly Elections: Police Commands Assure Citizens of Adequate Security in States

      Commodore SA Lawal Military Pension Boss MPB

      Debarment Allowance: Pension Board Requests Documents to Pay Military Retirees, NoKs’

      Inmates

      Drug Abuse Campaign: NDLEA Sensitizes Inmates in Ogun Juvenile Prison

  • Features
    • Jaigbade Alao: A Garland of Music and- A Tribute

      PRNigeria Fact-Check Reveals Identity of Abia Assembly’s Member-Elect, Anthony Abiola

      INEC

      Mainstream Media Coverage of Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election 

      Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of APC

      Nigeria: At the Cusp of Renewed Hope By President-Elect Bola Tinubu

      Kwara Politics and Ward-to-Ward Campaign – A Personal Experience, By Gidado…

  • State
    • Gov Abdulrahaman abdulrazak of Kwara

      AbdulRazaq tasks IEDPU on Development Projects

      herdsman

      Herders Killed 5,138 in Benue in Eight Years – BSEMA

      Kwara Gov mourns Death of Civil Rights Activist, Bashiru Saliu

      After APC’s Lanslide Victory in Kwara, Gov Leads Mustapha, Aluko, Shagaya…

      New Naira Notes: We Rejected Proposed April 10 Extension, Other FG’s…

  • Event
    • 12 Things you Should Know about Armed Forces Remembrance Day in…

      Buk 92 Class 30th Anniversary

      PHOTOS: WhatsApp Reunites BUK 92 Class After 30 Years… As Old…

      Nigerian Navy Charges Personnel On Discipline, Professionalism

      President Buhari Hails CDI Gen Samuel Adebayo on Defence Intelligence, Staff…

      At Ceremonial Sunset, Naval Chief Honours Officers who Freed 250 Abducted…

Home Anti-Corruption SERAP Seeks Probe of governors for ‘Pocketing’ LGA allocations
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Sponsored

SERAP Seeks Probe of governors for ‘Pocketing’ LGA allocations

By
Kolawole Oluwadare
-
November 3, 2019

SERAP Seeks Probe of governors for ‘Pocketing’ LGA allocations

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to urgently investigate corruption allegations in the use of the monthly federal allocations to the 774 local governments in the country through the 36 state governors and the Federal Capital Territory.”

SERAP also sought investigations into “the alleged complicity of state governors in corruption cases involving local government allocations between 1999 and 2019, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for suspected perpetrators to be prosecuted by anti-corruption agencies and any stolen public funds recovered and used to provide public goods and services.”

SERAP’s letter followed the reported arrest last week by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of 16 local government chairmen in Kwara state, who were suspended by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. They allegedly misappropriated N4 billion loan meant for paying teachers’ salaries and local government pensioners.

In the letter dated 1 November 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Investigating state governors and local government chairmen over allegations of corruption and abuse of power in the use of federal allocations meant to provide public goods and services would best serve the general public interests and welfare.”

SERAP said: “We request that you take the recommended action within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute legal proceedings to compel your government to act in the public interest.”

SERAP also said: “Our request is based on the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), the country’s anti-corruption legislation and international obligations, particularly the UN Convention against Corruption. Section 7(6)(a) of the constitution anticipates allocation of public revenue to the 774 local governments in the country. The proposed investigations and prosecution do not offend the constitutional principles of federation in any way, shape or form.”

SERAP also said: “Your government is empowered to use the provisions of the constitution, anti-corruption legislation and international standards to check cases of corruption and abuse of power nationwide, including by state and local governments. This position is entirely consistent with the doctrine of covering the field, as it vindicates the true practice of federalism.”

The letter copied to Mr Malami, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Mr Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, read in part: “Section 15(5) of the constitution requires your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power, regardless of where such practices are taking place in Nigeria.”

“According to reports, an average of N20 billion accrued to local governments across the county between 2007 and 2012 alone. Over N15 trillion of federal allocations meant for provision of public goods and services by local governments have been allegedly mismanaged or pocketed by state governments, local council chairmen, and the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory in the last 12 years.”

“As the Supreme Court of Nigeria once correctly stated, ‘Corruption is not a disease which afflicts public officers alone but society as a whole. If it is therefore to be eradicated effectively, the solution to it must be pervasive to cover every segment of the society. Corrupt practices and abuse of power can, if not checked threaten the peace, order and good government of Nigeria or any part thereof.’”

“’Corruption is a national malaise which must be tackled by the government of the Federal Republic. The disastrous consequences of the evil practice of corruption have taken this nation into the list of the most corrupt nations on earth.’”

“Public schools and clinics across the 774 local governments in several states have been left to crumble and wither away, with ordinary citizens made to pay the price for the decay of those vital public services. The failure to act as recommended would leave a doubt in the public mind about your government’s commitment to rid Nigeria of corruption.”

“The use of federal allocations has been characterized by allegations of waste, opacity and misappropriation, thereby undermining the ability of state and local governments to provide public goods and services such as health, education and water. Corruption in Nigeria will remain if relevant federal authorities and agencies continue to fail to stem corruption in state and local governments.”

“Local governments across the country rarely get the exact federal allocations meant for them as the allocations are allegedly mismanaged or misappropriated by state governments. Despite the country’s oil wealth, millions of Nigerians continue to live in extreme poverty, as funds that state and local governments could have spent on basic health care, education and clean water have instead been mismanaged or stolen.”

“SERAP therefore believes that anyone involved in alleged corrupt practices and abuse of power including at the state and local government levels should be promptly, thoroughly and effectively investigated and prosecuted if there is relevant and admissible evidence of corruption, and stolen public funds recovered both to provide public goods and services to ordinary citizens and to serve as deterrent.”

“State governors do not enjoy immunity from investigation. Any criminal allegation against any sitting governor can and should be investigated pending the time the governor leaves office and loses immunity. The findings of such investigation can also be the basis for initiating impeachment proceedings against the governors.”

“SERAP hopes that you will exercise your constitutional powers to promote transparency and accountability and stop corruption in the use of federal allocations to state and local governments across the country.”

“The constitutional authority by federal authorities and agencies to fight corruption and ensure the peace, order and good government extend to any part of the country, as contained in the Exclusive Legislative List in Part 1 of the Second Schedule to the Nigerian constitution.”

“The EFCC also reportedly probed how N11 million was allegedly taken by each of 33 former local government caretaker chairmen, which was spent to secure Oyo State against incursion by Boko Haram insurgents during the 2015 general elections. The money was allegedly disbursed from the Local Government Stabilization Account to each of the 33 local government areas of the state.”

Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director

naija news

Kidnapped School Children

Yauri FGC Students, Kebbi
641 days 22 hours 51 minutes 12 seconds,

Baptist School Students, Kaduna
624 days 32 minutes 37 seconds

Tegina Islamiya Pupils, Niger (Freed)
Spent 88 days from May 30, 2021 - August 26, 2021


Report By: PRNigeria.com

 
VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Abubakar Malami
  • efcc
  • SERAP
Previous articleObi, Adegboruwa, Maidugu to headline 7th News Express Anniversary Lecture
Next articleICPC Nab Managers over N68m School-Feeding Fraud
Kolawole Oluwadare
http://www.PRNigeria.com

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

EFCC

EFCC Arrests NCAA’s Account Director, Two Others Over 2bn ‘Duty Tour Allowance’ Fraud

PHOTOS: ICPC Operatives Attacked as Young Vote Buyers Nabbed

Efcc operatives attacked by political thugs

Vote Buying: Political Thugs Attack EFCC Operatives

EFCC Arraigns Professor, Indian over N1.4bn Fraud, $200,000 Thefts

Chairman EFCC Abdulrasheed Bawa

EFCC Under Bawa Nightmare of Corrupt Public Officers, Fraudsters – CSOs

EFCC

Top EFCC Staff Fingered in Age Falsification Scandal as ‘Lobbyists’ Pressure Bawa for ‘Softlanding’

EFCC

37 Convicted for Internet Fraud in Ogun, Oyo, Osun

FAAC

Ex-Accountant General’s Missing Statement Stalls Trial in Alleged N109Bn Fraud

EFCC Intercepts N32m Allegedly for Vote-buying in Lagos

EFCC Deploys Officers for Election Monitoring Duties, Releases Incident Reporting Hotlines

EFCC Reacts to Report of Raiding Tinubu’s Home over alleged N400bn

Alleged fraudster Chidozie Kingsley Nwachia nab by EFCC

False Marriage: EFCC Nabs Fraudster for Duping American $200,000

  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
X whatsapp