SERAP challenges Buhari to publish details of corruption in SIP

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN and Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun to publish more details on the alleged fraud and stealing of some of the N1 trillion budgeted for the Social Investments Programme (SIP).

SERAP also requested the authority to publish the exact amount of the $321 million of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha loot recently returned by Switzerland, which was stolen.

A statement by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale pleaded that the President should, “instruct appropriate authorities to publish details of how his government plans to spend and monitor the spending of the $85 million returned by the United Kingdom from the controversial Malabu deal involving $1.6 billion, so as to remove the risks of corruption or mismanagement of the money.”

The Special Adviser on SIP, Maryam Uwais, had last week reportedly disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was invited to probe ‘massive fraud’ and other corrupt practices like short-changing, racketeering, harassment of beneficiaries and exploitation of the vulnerable plaguing the scheme in some states.”

Welcoming the reported disclosure of fraud and corruption in the SIP and the request to the EFCC to probe the allegations, SERAP said it was concerned that sufficient details about the allegations had not been disclosed.

“Nigerians have the right to know more about the allegations, including the names of the states involved, and whether the recently returned $321m Abacha loot was affected by the reported fraud and corruption,” it said.