Daud Olatunji
In a stern move, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given a one-week deadline to the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to disclose comprehensive details of federal allocations intended for local governments since the advent of democracy in 1999.
SERAP has further urged the concerned officials to transparently reveal the actual disbursement of these allocations to local governments and has called upon the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the spending of these funds.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s revelation in December 2022, exposing a common practice where state chairmen signed for inflated amounts from the federation account, underscores the urgency of SERAP’s demand.
In a Freedom of Information request dated January 27, 2024, SERAP emphasized the citizens’ right to know the intricacies of federal allocations, emphasizing the importance of transparency in preventing corruption and building public trust.
The request states, “Transparency would ensure that the allocations are not diverted into private pockets, and increase public trust that the money would be used to benefit Nigerians resident in these local government areas.”
Expressing concern over the alleged mismanagement of federal allocations contributing to poverty and underdevelopment, SERAP stressed the need for accountability to enhance access to public goods and services.
With claims that over N40 trillion federal allocations have been collected by the 36 states and FCT for the 774 local governments, SERAP highlights the opacity surrounding the actual disbursement of these funds.
The organization warns that failure to comply within the stipulated one-week period will result in legal actions to ensure compliance in the public interest.
The statement read “transparency in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments is fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions, and strengthen the rule of law.
“Implicit in the freedom of expression is the public’s right to know what governments are doing on their behalf, without which truth would languish and people’s participation in government would remain fragmented.
“Transparency would ensure that the allocations are not diverted into private pockets, and increase public trust that the money would be used to benefit Nigerians resident in these local government areas.
“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement of federal allocations meant for local governments have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services in several states.
“Ensuring transparency and accountability in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations in your state would also improve the enjoyment by Nigerians of their right to natural wealth and resources.
“You have a legal responsibility to promote transparency and accountability in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local government areas in your state, and to ensure that the allocations are fully disbursed to the local governments.
“SERAP is concerned that despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived very little benefit from oil money primarily because of widespread grand corruption, and the culture of impunity of perpetrators.
“Combating the corruption epidemic in the spending of federal allocations meant for local government areas in your state would alleviate poverty, improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods, and enhance the ability of the local governments to effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
“According to our information, the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have collected over N40 trillion federal allocations meant for the 774 local governments areas in the country and FCT.
“The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursed to states N225.21 billion federal allocations meant for local governments in November 2023 alone. States also collected N258,810,449,711.47 federal allocations meant for local government areas in December 2023.
“However, there is opacity in the actual disbursement of federal allocations to the local government areas in your state. States and the FCT have over the years failed and/or refused to disclose the portion of federal allocations that are disbursed by state governors.
“SERAP notes that former President Muhammadu Buhari recently alleged that state governors routinely pocket or divert federal allocations meant for local governments areas in their states.
“According to Buhari, ‘If the money from the Federation Account to the state is about N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the chairman but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with.”
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