Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate the spending of ecological fund from 2001 till date by federal, states and local government councils.
In the open letter dated October 22, 2022 by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation claimed trillions of naira in ecological funds have allegedly gone down the drain. Its allegation was against the backdrop of reports that ravaging flooding in some parts of the country had resulted in the loss of over 600 lives, displacement of more than a million persons, and destruction of properties worth billions. The most affected states being Anambra, Delta, Kogi, Rivers, Benue, Yobe, Cross River and Bayelsa.
“Suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered. 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…
“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.”
