Omanghana
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into more than ₦78.8 billion allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent under the Federal Government’s cash transfer and social intervention programs.
The amount cited in official audit queries and legal petitions is ₦78.8 billion, not trillion.
SERAP’s demand follows findings contained in the 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, covering financial transactions conducted in 2023 and 2024.
In a petition signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office to account for the expenditure.
According to the audit findings cited by SERAP, the NCTO disbursed approximately ₦33.751 billion to more than 3.29 million households across 35 states in 2023 without providing sufficient evidence that the beneficiaries received the payments.
The Auditor-General reportedly noted the absence of crucial beneficiary information and Remita payment statements needed to verify the transactions. A lack of cooperation from relevant officials was also said to have frustrated efforts to confirm the disbursements.
Another ₦36.744 billion was allegedly processed by the NCTO in December 2023 without the mandatory prepayment audits and internal audit clearances required for such transactions.
The report also raised questions about ₦4.616 billion in expenditure for which supporting documents were allegedly unavailable.
Other queried payments included ₦350.18 million reportedly paid directly to state coordinators for enrolment activities that could not be verified and ₦280.42 million released to payment service providers as mobilization advances without Advance Payment Guarantees.
The audit further identified ₦89.51 million allegedly spent on inventory that was neither delivered nor entered into official store records. It also questioned ₦17.42 million issued to members of staff as direct cash advances for the purchase of diesel.
SERAP said a further ₦2.55 billion in irregular transactions was linked to NASSCO. This included ₦2.24 billion processed through 158 payment vouchers without evidence of prepayment audits.
The organization also cited ₦141 million reportedly paid for software without the required clearance from the National Information Technology Development Agency. Additional payments involving undelivered laptops and unverified media advertisements were also queried.
SERAP argued that the alleged failure of basic accounting and oversight systems created a risk that funds intended to support Nigerians facing economic hardship may have been diverted by officials or contractors.
The organization asked President Tinubu to direct the Ministry and NCTO to publish comprehensive records and reconciliation details for the ₦33.751 billion in cash transfers. It said beneficiary names should be cross-checked against the National Social Register.
SERAP also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the allegations, prosecute anyone found responsible and recover any misappropriated money for the Treasury.
The rights organization gave the administration seven days to act on its demands. It warned that failure to take appropriate steps could result in legal proceedings and complaints before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice and the World Bank’s Inspection Panel.
SERAP maintained that investigating the findings and publishing the relevant records would promote transparency, protect vulnerable beneficiaries and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s social intervention programs.
Source: Omanghana
