An advocacy group , Socio – Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has called on the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd .) , to order an urgent probe into the revelation by the 2017 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation that N 300 bn public funds were missing.
The group urged the President to order the probe within 14 days in a statement on Sunday by Kolawole Oludare, its Deputy Director.
Parts of the statement read, “The 2017 audited report reveals grim allegations of mismanagement , diversion and stealing of public funds , as well as unaccounted- for spending . The report suggests a grave violation of the public trust, and that the indicted MDAs and the National Assembly lack effective and credible internal processes to prevent and combat corruption .
“SERAP has carefully analysed the 2017 audited report by the AGF and our analysis reveals the following grim allegations of mismanagement , diversion and stealing of public funds , as well as unaccounted-for spending .
“The Federal Civil Service Commission spent N25 ,856 ,279 .00 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop online recruitment in April 2014 without any supporting memo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and without due process .
“Although the project was suspended , the commission went ahead and paid N 25 ,856 , 279 .00 for contract not executed . The AGF recommended the full recovery of the public funds.
“The commission granted cash advances totalling N8,590,000.00 to 25 officials between February and December, 2016 but failed to retire or account for the money.
The former chairman of the commission, whose tenure of office ended in May 2017, took away with him four vehicles (one Toyota Hilux, one 407 Classic Peugeot, one Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep and one Toyota Corolla) belonging to the commission, despite the Monetisation Policy of Government clearly stating that all vehicles of MDAs belonging to the pool are not expected to be taken away as part of severance package at the expiration of an officer’s appointment.”
