SERAP asks ICPC to probe N224m Lagos stolen council funds
(Nigeria )
A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)
has asked the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC,
Mr Ekpo Nta to “urgently and transparently investigate allegations of
corruption in Lagos State Councils and to bring to justice suspected
perpetrators.”
The petition followed a government audit of 57 local
councils in Lagos State, which allegedly indicted eight councils of stealing and mismanaging at least N224
millions of public funds on a range of questionable expenditures and
unimplemented contracts.
In the petition by
SERAP’s Senior Staff Counsel, Mr Olukayode Majekodunmi, the group expressed
“serious concern about the content of 2012 government audit report and the
inability of the government to fully and effectively address the issues raised
by the report.
“This situation can only continue to exacerbate the
increasing level of violation of the citizens’ internationally recognized
economic and social rights including the right to adequate food, to quality
education, to water, and to accessible and adequate health services.
“Large-scale corruption such as the one mentioned above
exposes majority of the citizens to a “double jeopardy”- on the one hand these
people are subjected to hardship of immense proportion; while they are also
denied the freedom to explore, on the basis of free enterprise, novel and
legitimate ways towards individual development and prosperity, the most
convenient path out of absolute poverty.
“The allegations also constitute grave breaches of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act 2000 and the UN Convention against
Corruption which Nigeria
has ratified. Specifically, sections 16 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices Act
would appeared to have been violated going by the clear contents of the audit report.
The UN Convention against Corruption contains similar prohibitions, and imposes
clear obligations on Nigeria
to investigate allegations of corruption such as the present case; prosecute
suspected perpetrators and ensure return of the proceeds of corruption.”
The group also urged Mr Nta to use his leadership position
to ensure that the allegations are fully and transparently investigated, and
that the findings of the investigation are made public.
“The audit assessment reportedly accused the following Local
Councils of wasting public funds: Agbado Oke –Odo, Surulere, Coker-Aguda,
Egbe-Idimu, Eredo, Iba, Ikosi-Isheri and Lagos Island East. The report also
established cases of corrupt practices and other cases of financial recklessness
in Eti Osa, Mainland and Somolu and some other local councils failed to remit
statutory deductions from contracts awarded to the tune of N40.9m.
“In Surulere, auditors reportedly found that N17.5m as
against the agreed N12.8m which was the 30 percent of the mobilization sum was
paid to a contractor for the installation of a Colour Led Display solution
screen at Masha Road, Lagos State Water Corporation Junction in the local
government. Even so, the project has not taken off since February 2011 when the
agreement was signed. The report also mentioned spurious expenditure totalling
N1.3m was made by staff on behalf of the Local Council.
“At Egbe-Idimu LCDA, a total of N29.1m was unaccounted
according to the audit report. The officials at Eredo LCDA also made
unauthorized excess expenditure totalling N15m in 2012 just as 52 payment
vouchers amounting to N30.2m and duly paid and posed in treasury cashbook were
not produced for audit verification. The report also indicted officials of Iba
LCDA for over payment
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