Socio–Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila to “use their good offices 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.”
SERAP said: “these allegations are not part of the disclosure by the Auditor-General in other audited reports that N4.4 billion of National Assembly money is missing, misappropriated, diverted or stolen.”
In the letter dated May 15 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation 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.”
SERAP urged 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.”
“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.”
