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… slam Auditor-General’s lax oversight Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mba Ukweni and Chief Solo Akuma, have condemned the alleged disappearance of ₦18.6 billion reportedly allocated for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) office complex, calling for urgent investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Department of State Services (DSS). Their comments came following a call by Lagos-based rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), urging the leadership of the National Assembly to explain the whereabouts of the funds. Speaking exclusively with Tribune Online, Mba Ukweni, SAN, described the incident as a monumental shame, insisting that the sum could not simply go missing without a trace. He rejected the description of the fund as missing, arguing that it was plainly stolen. “A lot of ridiculous things happen in this country that people should be ashamed to mention. How can ₦18.6 billion be said to be missing? Such a huge sum cannot just disappear. “If it was moved through banks, it is traceable. If it was stolen in cash, the perpetrators are known. The money was not missing; it was stolen,” Ukweni said. The Senior Advocate added that with Nigeria’s financial monitoring systems, such a transaction could easily be traced. “The EFCC, ICPC, and DSS should immediately be brought in to trace where the money went. They already know where that money is. The National Assembly leadership cannot feign ignorance,” he maintained. Calling the development a national embarrassment, Ukweni said it was regrettable that public officials had reduced corruption to a laughing matter, referencing past scandals such as the infamous ‘snake swallowing money’ episode in government offices. “Some time ago, they said a snake swallowed money. Nobody killed the snake to retrieve it. This time, ₦18.6 billion is missing. I don’t know what swallowed it, perhaps another animal. “But the truth is, it’s not missing. It’s stolen, and the thieves should be named, shamed, and prosecuted,” he said. Ukweni stressed that the recurring culture of impunity in Nigeria’s public sector persists because corrupt officials are rarely punished. “The reason our justice system is weak is that wrongdoers are not condemned or punished appropriately. “Until those responsible for this ₦18.6 billion theft are made to face justice, others will continue to steal with confidence. “Today, ₦18.6 billion is missing; tomorrow, the entire national budget could disappear,” he warned. He emphasised that dealing decisively with the culprits would help deter future misappropriations. “There’s no society that tolerates this level of corruption and survives, not even a family. “If corruption becomes a way of life, it destroys the moral fabric of the community,” he added. Also speaking with Tribune Online, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Solo Akuma, linked the scandal to institutional weakness and the failure of the Office of the Auditor-General to enforce proper financial oversight. “The Auditor-General should be the first point of accountability. Every withdrawal from public funds must have a justification tied to an approved project. “If ₦18.6 billion left the treasury without proper oversight, then the Auditor-General failed in his duty,” Akuma said. He noted that the National Assembly has its own internal auditor, apart from the Auditor-General of the Federation, both of whom should have flagged any irregular movement of such a large sum. “You don’t just walk into a bank and withdraw ₦18.6 billion. It passes through processes. “Did the Auditor-General give approval? Did the internal auditor query the transaction? If both remained silent, then they shared responsibility,” Akuma stated. Akuma urged anti-graft agencies to act swiftly, lamenting that corruption cases involving powerful individuals are often ignored. “Now that SERAP has raised this issue, the EFCC must step in. Visit the project site, find out who the contract was awarded to, how much was released, and whether any work has been done. “But what do we see? When certain personalities are involved, they close their eyes. That’s selective justice,” he said. He warned that until Nigeria strengthens its audit systems and empowers financial watchdogs to act without political interference, such scandals would persist. “We must put people of courage and integrity in the Auditor-General’s office, people who will not approve payments for non-existent projects. “Otherwise, we’ll keep losing billions while the poor continue to suffer,” Akuma added. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
