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FG Misapplied N1.04trn Special Fund –Senate
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts alleged yesterday that the Federal Government misapplied N1.04 trillion from the Special Funds Accounts (SFA) to unrelated purposes.
The committee’s finding is contained in a report on the status inquiry into the SFA, which was presented on the floor of the Senate in Abuja.
Presenting the report, Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee, Senator Ahmed Lawan (ANPP-Yobe), said the infractions were made between 2002 and June 2012.
Lawan said that several approvals of funds from the SFA during the period did not conform with the purposes for which the funds were established.
The SFA was established in 2002 as an interventionist fund for the development of the solid minerals sector, ecology and other critical areas of the economy.
The SFA, managed by the Federal Government, comprises the three per cent Development of Natural Resources Account, 1.46 per cent Derivation and Ecology Account, and 0.72 per cent Stabilisation Account.
Those deductions came from the federation account, said the report.
According to the report, N1.51 trillion accrued to the SFA as at June 30, 2012, from figures obtained from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
Out of the amount, N1.23 trillion was recorded as total payments to beneficiaries from the account, the report said.
However, the report noted that the operation of the natural resources, ecology and stabilisation accounts were grossly abused.
It said several releases under this account were not related to the intendment of the account.
On natural resources account, the report detailed 16 abuses under this account, which amounted to N701.4 billon in 10 years, representing 100 per cent of the total amount released under the period.
Some of the infractions included a N2 billion loan granted for payment to Gitto Costruzioni General Nigeria Limited on September 19, 2005.
Also, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs was granted a loan of N3.7 billion in 2004 to purchase a chancery in Tokyo.
Ostensibly, the loan to the ministry came from the account that was meant to assist states develop alternative mineral resources to oil and gas.
On other infractions to the natural resources account, the report noted that N5.7 billion loan was granted to the Ministry of Power and Steel in 2005 for the payment of severance package to disengaged steel workers.
Similarly, in October 2007, the Ministry of Finance also withdrew N10 billion for the payment of arrears of monetisation benefits owed Federal Government’s parastatals.
On the ecology account, the report said that out of N329.8 billion released during the period under review, N149.8 billion was abused, representing 45 per cent.
The report revealed that N750 million was released for the development of the Abuja Downtown Mall in 2007 from the fund meant to assist states ravaged by ecological problems.
Also misappropriated from the ecological funds was a N1 billion loan to Edo State Government, released in November 2002 and March 2003, respectively.
The Presidential Research and Communication Unit also received N200 million loan from the ecological fund in November 2002.
On the stabilisation account, created to provide for unforeseen contingencies and economic downturn, the report noted that N191.7 billion from the account was misapplied.
A total of N255 billion was released to the account between 2002 and 2012, and the report put its “level of abuse’’ at 75 per cent.
From the account, a loan of N309.2 million was granted to the Inspector-General of Police for purchase of vehicles for the United Nation (UN) peacekeeping operations in Haiti in 2006.
Also, N2.8 billion loan was granted to pay Federal Government of Nigeria 50 per cent contribution to the Phase 1 of the pioneer car finance scheme for public servants in paramilitary agencies in 2007.
The report by the committee also observed that out of N580 billion loans granted from the three accounts, N347.9 billion had yet to be recovered from various beneficiaries several years after.
It also noted that there was no regular reconciliation between the OAGF and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Our correspondent reports that the committee’s recommendation for the Federal Government to recover all outstanding loans within six months did not pass through at the Senate.
Also, a recommendation for a legislation to be passed by the National Assembly to establish and regulate the SFA was also not passed.
In his explanation, Senate President David Mark said some of the recommendations by the committee had already been captured in a bill before the Senate to regulate the operations of the SFA.
Mark, however, said the report was a “wake-up call’’ to the legislators to be active in their oversight functions.
The Senate, therefore, directed its Public Accounts Committee to investigate further the disbursement and repayment of loans from the SFA.
Earlier, several Senators, who spoke after the presentation of the report, commended the committee for a painstaking work.
The senators were unanimous in their outrage over the revelations from the report and they conceded blame over their lax oversight functions of government agencies.
In his contribution, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba (PDP-Cross River) said the report had shown that “nothing has changed between when this Senate did the investigation into the PTDF and now’’.
Also speaking, Senator Ayogu Eze (PDP-Enugu) said a major lesson from the report was for the Senate to insist that the executive must present a revenue profile before subsequent debates on the budget
“Much as everybody is indicted, the legislature should rise up to its responsibility of overseeing the management of public funds,’’ he said.
On his part, Senator Bukar Ibrahim (ANPP-Yobe) noted that “these abuses have been going on for as long as we have been having governments in Nigeria’’.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.