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Buhari Gets Ultimatum to Probe Spending of Ecological Fund

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By Adedapo Adesanya

President Muhammadu Buhari has been given a deadline by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to investigate the spending of Ecological Fund by governments at all levels—federal, state and local- from 2001 to date.

In a letter dated October 22, 2022, the group asked Mr Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, and the appropriate anti-corruption agencies to look into how the funds have been spent for the last 21 years within seven days.

This became imperative following the ravaging floods in most states of the federation, which have claimed more than 600 lives and have rendered many homeless.

SERAP said it was worried that the huge amount of money released to state and local governments to tackle this issue had been squandered by officials.

The organisation wants “suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement [to] face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered.”

In the open letter signed by its deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “trillions of ecological funds have allegedly gone down the drain. The resulting human costs directly threaten human rights – rights to life and to a place to live – rights that your government has an obligation to protect.”

The rights body said, “Irrespective of the cause of a threat to human rights, your government still has positive obligations to use all the means within its disposal to uphold the human rights of those affected.”

SERAP also said, “Although ecological funds are shared across the three tiers of government and emergency management agencies, the funds are managed and supervised by the Federal Government.”

It reminded Mr Buhari that his “government has the legal obligations to hold all tiers of government and emergency management agencies to account, and to trace, find, and recover any missing ecological funds.”

“Your government has the legal obligations to address the calamitous consequences of flooding for the human rights of millions of people and to prevent and address some of the direst consequences that climate change may reap on human rights, especially given the disproportionate impact on vulnerable people and communities.

“Your government must use all means available to it to prevent and address the threats to human rights that result from climate change and to provide access to effective remedies for victims when these rights are violated.

“Your government has a positive obligation to protect individuals against the threat posed to human rights by climate change, regardless of the causes.

“Your government also has legal obligations to effectively address the aftermath of the flooding, such as deterioration in health, diminishing access to safe drinking water and susceptibility of the areas affected to disease.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.

“Climate change also has the potential to exacerbate existing threats to human rights in the country. Rising global temperatures will jeopardise many people’s livelihoods, increasing their vulnerability to poverty and social deprivation.

“In order to uphold its constitutional and international human rights obligations, your government must respond to the impacts of the flooding and of climate change generally.

“According to the audit of the Ecological Fund Office carried out by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the total amount allocated and received by the fund from December 2011 to November 2016 was N277 billion.

“The operations of the Fund from 2012 to 2016 reportedly showed that some of the disbursements were not utilised for the purpose for which it was established. During these periods, N74,170,932,645.20 was released to State Governments to solve ecological problems in their states.

“Impunity for corruption in the management of Ecological Fund will continue as long as high-ranking public officials go largely unpunished for their alleged crimes. By pursuing these allegations and taking the evidence before the court, the truth will be revealed and justice best served.

“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of Ecological Fund and entrenched impunity of perpetrators have undermined the ability of governments at all levels and emergency management agencies to prevent the impact of flooding on the human rights of socio-economically vulnerable Nigerians, and to respond to the problem effectively.

“Allegations of corruption and mismanagement have undermined the ability of authorities at all levels to invest in drainage systems and to tackle soil erosion and climate change challenges across several parts of the country.

“SERAP also urges you to direct Mr Malami and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to urgently identify and ensure access to justice and effective remedies to affected victims,” it said.

“SERAP also urges you to direct Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Federal Government to publish details of allocations from the Ecological Fund to the Federal Government, the 36 state governments, Abuja, the 774 local government areas of the country, and the National Emergency Management Agency, as well as state emergency management agencies between 2001 to date.

“SERAP urges you to instruct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly track and monitor the spending of Ecological Fund by the 36 state governors, the 774 local government areas, as well as all emergency management agencies across the country funded through the Ecological Fund.

“SERAP is concerned that the funds released for ecological projects are characterised by mismanagement, diversion of funds, substandard and abandoned projects fully paid for. Ecological funds have also been allegedly spent for other purposes, such as election campaigns and political patronage.

“Prevention of corruption in the spending of Ecological Fund, and preventing and addressing the challenges caused by climate change are serious and legitimate public interests.

“There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the management of Ecological Fund.

“Nigerians have the right to know how the public funds budgeted to address ecological challenges are spent. Publishing the details of allocations of Ecological Fund since 2001 would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds,” SERAP added.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Nigeria, UNODC Partner to Combat Terror-Financed Mining

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Mining Licences

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria is partnering with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to strengthen the country’s capacity to detect, investigate, and prosecute illicit activities, particularly those connected to solid minerals exploitation.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, after receiving a delegation from UNODC led by Mr Tom Parker in Abuja.

The collaboration signals Nigeria’s increasing focus on leveraging international expertise and technology in restoring order to the extractive industries, an area historically plagued by illegal mining, lost revenue, and environmental degradation.

“The initiative is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes linked to conflict and terrorism, particularly those associated with the solid minerals sector,” Mr Alake said.

The UNODC team commended recent Nigerian efforts to tackle illegal mining, specifically the establishment of the Mining Marshals, a dedicated security outfit launched earlier this year.

The Marshals, according to the Minister, have already begun arresting and prosecuting illegal operators across mining hotspots.

“Since their deployment, the Marshals have been active in arresting and prosecuting illegal miners. Encouragingly, we are already seeing a shift, as many operators are now working to regularise their activities and comply with the law.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the deployment of a satellite-based monitoring system to enhance real-time surveillance of mining operations nationwide. The system is expected to revolutionize oversight in the sector by enabling instant detection of illegal activities and prompt response by security agencies.

“This will allow us to identify incidents in real time and ensure timely intervention by security personnel,” Mr Alake revealed, stressing the importance of modern tools in addressing systemic exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral wealth.

He emphasized the UNODC partnership is central to the government’s strategy to safeguard national resources and disrupt terror-linked illicit financial flows often concealed within the solid minerals value chain.

“We welcome the support of the UNODC in this critical effort. Strengthening our institutional capacity to combat illicit financial flows and criminal activity in the mining sector is essential to protecting Nigeria’s natural resources and national security,” the Minister stated.

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Reps Probe Alleged Student Loan Mismanagement

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The House of Representatives has launched an official investigation into accusations of fund misappropriation, regulatory violations, and unethical practices linked to the student loan scheme established by the Bola Tinubu-led administration.

Lawmakers cautioned that such issues could jeopardize one of Nigeria’s most crucial educational support initiatives.

During the opening session of the public hearing, Speaker of the House, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, affirmed the legislature’s resolve to prevent the student loan initiative from being undermined by administrative inefficiencies, weak oversight, or intentional misconduct.

Mr Abbas stated that public trust and the credibility of the programme are at risk, stressing that lawmakers would not remain passive while serious allegations were ignored.

The investigative hearing, organized jointly by the House Committees on Public Accounts and Students Loans, aims to examine allegations of delayed fund releases, lack of openness, and potential collusion among stakeholders involved in administering the loan scheme.

Mr Abbas called the investigation both a constitutional duty and an ethical obligation to safeguard the interests of young Nigerians who rely on the scheme to pursue higher education.

Referring to Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Mr Abbas reminded the audience that the National Assembly holds the legal authority to scrutinize the performance of any entity responsible for implementing its legislation.

He reiterated the investigation was not designed to target individuals unfairly, but rather to expose systemic failures, improve procedural efficiency, and reinforce transparency in the use of public resources.

“Our intention is not to witch-hunt but to guarantee that every naira meant for Nigerian students is spent responsibly and in an open manner.”

He praised the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), created under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act of 2024, as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Abbas noted that so far, over 600,000 applications had been processed and more than N73 billion disbursed to students nationwide.

Despite these achievements, he warned that rising claims of fund mismanagement could derail what should be a groundbreaking educational support effort.

“This hearing is designed to verify the allegations, pinpoint procedural or institutional shortcomings, and propose corrective actions, including disciplinary measures if warranted.”

The Committee Chairman, Mr Ifeoluwa Ehindero acknowledged the student loan programme had revived hope for many Nigerian households and was already delivering measurable impact.

According to Mr Ehindero, by June 30, 2025, a total of N73.1 billion had been distributed to 366,247 students in federal and state tertiary institutions.

“Out of this sum, N38.26 billion was used for tuition, while N34.85 billion went toward upkeep support, benefitting students in more than 206 institutions.”

He commended Speaker Abbas for his leadership and dedication to openness, which had empowered the joint committee to establish a neutral platform focused on accountability and reform.

“Our mission is not punitive,” Mr Ehindero said, “We aim to enhance transparency, strengthen the disbursement framework, and ensure the scheme benefits all parties involved.”

In his remarks, Akintunde Sawyer, the Managing Director of NELFUND, reported the Fund had registered over 650,000 applicants and currently processes around 2,000 applications per day.

He clarified that every application is subjected to a verification process, and funds are disbursed directly to the applicants’ institutions upon approval.

The House Committees however resolved to hold additional hearings with regulatory bodies, key institutions, and students affected by the process, with the ultimate goal of rebuilding public trust in the student loan initiative.

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EFCC Pleads for Speedy Passage of Delayed Unexplained Wealth Bill

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukayode, has urged the National Assembly to speedily pass the Unexplained Wealth Bill.

Mr Olukayode made the appeal at the ongoing National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance, organised by the Senate and House of Representatives Public Accounts Committees on Thursday.

“Help me pass the Unexplained Wealth Bill, I’ve been begging for the past one year. This same bill was thrown out in the last Assembly. If we don’t make individuals accountable for what they have, we’ll never get it right,” he pleaded.

The bill seeks to go after Nigerians with no known source of wealth or with illicit means of gathering wealth.

Speaking at the event, he said the anti-graft has mounting evidences of people living above their means and there was no clear-cut law holding them accountable.

“In the last three weeks, we started a commission-wide investigation into the extractive industry, particularly the oil and gas sector. What we have discovered is mind-boggling.

“We have only just opened the books. So much more corruption is to be unraveled. If this is what we’re seeing at the surface, imagine what lies beneath.

“There is a very strong connection between the mismanagement of our resources and insecurity.

“When you look at banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, trace it back, and you will find a pattern of corrupt practices and diversion of funds that were meant to improve people’s lives.

“Someone has worked in a ministry for 20 years. We calculate their entire salary and allowances. Then we find five property , two in Maitama, three in Asokoro. Yet, we’re told to go and prove a predicate offence before we can act. That is absurd,” he said.

The EFCC boss urged all Nigerians to put aside creed, politics and ethnic sentiments to block revenue leakage and save the economy of the country.

Mr Olukayode also said that Nigerians should not fail to take advantage presented by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to block revenue leakage as it could spell doom for the country.

According to him, no amount of capacity will be able to recover half of the resources stolen from Nigeria as many host countries are not willing to repatriate.

He said that the best option was to prevent corruption saying that failure to do so, corruption would kill the country.

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