Budget padding: SERAP asks Buhari to order prosecution of indicted officers

alleges fresh padding
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to
President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR requesting
him to use his good offices and leadership
position “to urgently instruct security and anti-
corruption agencies to forward to you reports
of their completed investigations into
allegations of padding and stealing of some
N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some
principal officers of the National Assembly.”
The organization also asked Buhari to “direct
the Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/
or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to
without delay commence prosecution of
indicted officers; and to urgently halt alleged
ongoing attempt by some principal officers of
the National Assembly to divert N40 billion of
the N100 billion allocated by your government
as ‘zonal intervention’ in the 2017 budget.”
In the letter dated 24 March 2017 and signed
by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale the
organization requested the government to “take
the above recommended steps within 14 days
of the receipt and/or publication of this letter,
failing which SERAP will institute appropriate
legal and public-interest proceedings to compel
the government to discharge its national and
international anti-corruption obligations and
commitments in this matter.”
According to the organization, “Unless the
principal officers indicted in the alleged padding
of the 2016 budget are promptly prosecuted
and any stolen public funds recovered, your
government will not be able to stop the alleged
ongoing attempts to steal from the 2017
budget. Alleged corruption in the budget
process will not just melt away or simply
evaporate without addressing the fundamental
issue of impunity of perpetrators.”
The organization said that, “Addressing alleged
corruption in the budget process by pursuing
prosecution of indicted principal officers of the
National Assembly will provide an important
opportunity for your government to reignite the
fight against corruption and fulfil a cardinal
campaign promise, to show that your
government works on behalf of the many, and
not the few, as well as jumpstart economic
activities and break the back of the current
recession.”
The letter read in part: “Publishing the report of
the investigation of the alleged padding of the
2016 budget, and prosecuting suspected
perpetrators are absolutely important to avoid
another padding in the 2017 budget, which
your government can ill afford.”
“Corruption in the budget process takes away
and erodes much needed resources for public
and developmental purposes. SERAP is
seriously concerned about the level of secrecy
surrounding the budget process in the National
Assembly, which has invariably created a
breeding place for alleged corruption.”
“Secrecy in the National Assembly has clearly
gone beyond the level permitted by law, and
apparently served as the incubator for
corruption, while depriving the Nigerian people
of a much-needed opportunity to cleanse the
National Assembly of persistent allegations of
corruption.”
“SERAP has received very credible information
from multiple sources that the Department of
State Services (DSS) and the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have now
completed investigations into the allegations of
padding of the 2016 budget, completed their
reports, and indicted some principal officers of
the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Also, the accounts of some of the principal
officers containing allegedly illicit funds have
been frozen, and that the case files for the
prosecution of those indicted are ready.”
“SERAP has also received credible information
from whistle-blowers about ongoing attempt by
some principal officers of the National
Assembly to allegedly steal N40 billion of the
N100 billion allocated by your government as
‘zonal intervention’ (also known as
constituency projects) in the 2017 budget.”
“SERAP is also aware of the alleged risk of
corruption involving the $2.5 budget oil bench
mark increment which comes up to about N131
billion. The N131 billion will be appropriated to
either reduce deficit or increase expenditure or
both but unless the spending of the funds is
closely monitored and scrutinised, the funds
may be diverted, mismanaged or stolen.”
“SERAP is also concerned that deception in the
budget process will continue unless Nigerians
are granted access to inspect the budget
process and other activities by the National
Assembly. SERAP strongly believes that
Nigerians have the right to know what their
lawmakers are doing so that they are able to
appraise their work and hold them to account.”
SERAP therefore asked Buhari to:
1. Urgently instruct security and anti-corruption
agencies to forward to him reports of their
investigations into allegations of padding and
stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016
budget by some principal officers of the
National Assembly, and to direct the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/or
appropriate anti-corruption agencies to without
delay commence prosecution of indicted
officers;
2. Direct the publication of the report of
investigations by security and anti-corruption
bodies into the alleged padding of the 2016
budget
3. Urgently halt alleged ongoing attempt by
some principal officers of the National
Assembly to steal N40 billion of the N100
billion allocated by your government as ‘zonal
intervention’ in the 2017 budget;
4. Closely monitor and scrutinise the spending
of N131 billion (accrued from increased oil
bench mark) allocated for additional non-
constituency projects expenditure, to remove
the possibility of corruption