LAGOS, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Sunday called on President Bola Tinubu to publish the long-hidden forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and prosecute high-ranking officials accused of obstructing its release.
In a letter dated July 5 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization urged Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to identify and prosecute those allegedly involved in suppressing the report, which uncovered over N6 trillion in misappropriated funds and 13,000 abandoned projects between 2000 and 2019.
“The forensic audit report of the NDDC can no longer be left to gather dust,” SERAP said in the letter. “The continued failure to publish the audit report undermines public trust and denies victims of corruption in the Niger Delta access to justice and accountability.”
The audit, commissioned under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and submitted in September 2021, has yet to be made public. SERAP alleges that some politicians and senior officials named in the report deliberately obstructed its release to protect themselves.
“Obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and willful attempt to pervert the course of justice,” the group stated. “The Buhari administration allegedly allowed the report to gather dust to shield those indicted.”
SERAP warned that if the Tinubu administration fails to act within seven days of receiving the letter, it would pursue legal action before the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
“The audit reveals grim allegations of misappropriation and misuse of public funds in the NDDC. Nigerians have the right to know who is responsible,” Oluwadare said. “About N1.4 billion was reportedly spent on the audit. Keeping it hidden betrays the very purpose of its commissioning.”
The group cited the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Nigerian Constitution in its call for sanctions and criminal prosecutions, stating that “delaying justice only entrenches impunity and prolongs the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.”
According to SERAP, one particularly egregious case involves a former minister’s wife who allegedly received N48 billion in one year “to train Niger Delta women.” It also claimed that many NDDC contracts were awarded to members of the National Assembly.
“Publishing the report and prosecuting those responsible would help improve public confidence, promote transparency, and ensure that the NDDC finally delivers on its mandate,” SERAP said.
The NDDC was established in 2000 to facilitate infrastructure and development in the oil-rich but impoverished Niger Delta. It has long been dogged by corruption allegations.
By Gabriel Ani
