SERAP asks EFCC to probe alleged missing N500m Chibok safe school funds
(Nigeria) A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has petitioned the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, requesting him to “urgently begin a thorough, transparent and effective investigation into allegation that N500 million Safe School funds for Chibok girls, commissioned by former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to rebuild the Government Girls School in Chibok, is missing and cannot be accounted for.”
The group urged the EFCC to “invite for questioning, and
name and shame anyone suspected to be involved in the alleged diversion,
including the contractors allegedly handling the project.
In the petition by SERAP senior staff attorney, Timothy Adewale, the group said: “The
allegation that N500m has been lost to corruption has resulted in denying the
girls access to education, and shows the failure of the former President
Goodluck Jonathan government to live up to Nigeria’s commitments under the global
Safe School Declaration.
The petition reads, “SERAP believes that the diversion of
the funds will expose the school to attacks in the future. This is a
fundamental breach of the country’s obligations including guarantees of
non-repetition, which contribute to prevention and deterrence of future
attacks.
“SERAP urges the EFCC to work with the Independent Corrupt
Practices Commission, ICPC, to set up a mechanism to monitor government’s
spending of the safe school funds in order to ensure that the funds are spent
exactly to prevent and deter future attacks, and to allow the girls to go back
to school as soon as possible.
“SERAP is seriously concerned that the school has remained
in a state of disrepair since the abduction of the girls, and students have
remained at home.
“SERAP is concerned that the alleged diversion of N500m
meant for reconstruction of Government Girls School in Chibok has directly
violated the right to education of the girls, as guaranteed under the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Nigeria
is a state party.
“The diversion has undermined the obligation of the
government to take step to the maximum of its available resources to achieve
the right to education. The alleged diversion also shows a serious breach of
anticorruption legislation including the EFCC Act, and Nigeria’s international
obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union
Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption both of which the country has
ratified.
“The EFCC should ensure full accountability and bring to
justice anyone found to be responsible for corruption and diversion of safe
school funds. The EFCC should also ensure that all proceeds of corruption are
recovered and returned back to the treasury.
“This request is based on allegation by Governor Kashim
Shettima that N500 million set aside by the government of former President Jonathan,
is missing and cannot be accounted for.
“The funds were released for rebuilding of the Government
Girls School in Chibok under the Safe School Initiative programme, which was
commissioned former Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.”
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