The Socio-Financial Rights and Accountability Mission has urged Nigeria’s 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to account for the spending of Federal Account Allocation Committee allocations to states and the FCT since 2019.
It additionally requested them to supply and extensively publish paperwork on the spending of FAAC allocations obtained by their states and the FCT since 1999.
The Federal Account Allocation Committee is accountable for reviewing and adopting the allocation of funds to states and the Federal Authorities of Nigeria.
The requests adopted experiences that the committee disbursed N1.123 trillion to the federal, state, and native governments for March 2024 alone.
The breakdown confirmed states collected N398.689 billion.
SERAP’s request was contained within the Freedom of Data inquiry dated April 20, 2024, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
“With out this info, Nigerians can not observe the actions of their states and the FCT, they usually can not correctly fulfil their obligations as residents.
“Trillions of FAAC allocations obtained by Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT have allegedly gone down the drain. The ensuing human prices immediately threaten the human rights of socially and economically susceptible Nigerians,” it mentioned.
It added that publishing the paperwork would allow Nigerians to meaningfully have interaction within the implementation of tasks executed with the FAAC allocations collected.
“We’d be grateful if the really useful measures are taken inside seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.
“If now we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall think about acceptable authorized actions to compel you and your state and the FCT to adjust to our requests within the public curiosity,” it added.
The FoI requests learn partly, “Secrecy within the spending of FAAC allocations obtained by your state and the FCT is totally inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Structure 1999 [as amended] and the nation’s worldwide anti-corruption obligations.
“Secrecy within the spending of FAAC allocations obtained by your state and the FCT additionally denies Nigerians the best to understand how public funds are spent. Transparency within the spending would permit them to retain management over their authorities.
“The paperwork ought to embody the proof and record of particular tasks accomplished with the FAAC allocations collected, the areas of any such tasks, and completion experiences of the tasks.
“The paperwork must also embody particulars of the salaries and pensions paid from the FAAC allocations collected, in addition to the main points of tasks executed on hospitals and colleges with the FAAC allocations.
“Regardless of the elevated FAAC allocations to states and FCT, thousands and thousands of residents in your state and the FCT proceed to face excessive poverty and lack entry to primary public items and providers.”
