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Account For FAAC Allocations Or Face Lawsuit, SERAP Tells Govs, FCT Minister
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project 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 also asked them to provide and widely publish documents on the spending of FAAC allocations received by their states and the FCT since 1999.
The Federal Account Allocation Committee is responsible for reviewing and adopting the allocation of funds to states and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The requests followed reports that the committee disbursed N1.123 trillion to the federal, state, and local governments for March 2024 alone.
The breakdown showed states collected N398.689 billion.
SERAP’s request was contained in the Freedom of Information inquiry dated April 20, 2024, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
“Without this information, Nigerians cannot follow the actions of their states and the FCT, and they cannot properly fulfil their responsibilities as citizens.
“Trillions of FAAC allocations received by Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT have allegedly gone down the drain. The resulting human costs directly threaten the human rights of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians,” it said.
It added that publishing the documents would enable Nigerians to meaningfully engage in the implementation of projects executed with the FAAC allocations collected.
“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 you and your state and the FCT to comply with our requests in the public interest,” it added.
The FoI requests read in part, “Secrecy in the spending of FAAC allocations received by your state and the FCT is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.
“Secrecy in the spending of FAAC allocations received by your state and the FCT also denies Nigerians the right to know how public funds are spent. Transparency in the spending would allow them to retain control over their government.
“The documents should include the evidence and list of specific projects completed with the FAAC allocations collected, the locations of any such projects, and completion reports of the projects.
“The documents should also include details of the salaries and pensions paid from the FAAC allocations collected, as well as the details of projects executed on hospitals and schools with the FAAC allocations.
“Despite the increased FAAC allocations to states and FCT, millions of residents in your state and the FCT continue to face extreme poverty and lack access to basic public goods and services.”
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Edo guber: LP’s Akpata remains a front runner, set to capture Edo
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Less than twenty-four hours to the start of voting in Saturday’s governorship poll in Edo State, a rash of fake news has broken out.
Leading parties in the election have had their fair shares of fake news either indicating the withdrawal of their candidates or disqualification by a Magistrate Court or Supreme Court.
For instance, Olumide Akpata of LP was said to have withdrawn from the race and thrown his support for Asue Ighodalo in a statement that read smoothly and appeared convincing.
THE CONCLAVE sent the statement to Akpata via WhatsApp for confirmed.
He responded by sending the same statement with FAKE NEWS boldly stamped on it.
He said he was set for victory at the poll.
There was also a news flash about the Supreme Court disqualifying Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, with a sign off: More details coming….
A Magistrate Court in Abuja was also reported to have disqualified Monday Okpebholo of the APC from the poll on account of age falsification.
The APC campaign organisation had swiftly put a lie to the report by deploying the court papers in the circumstance.
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