SERAP to govs: Account for FAAC allocations or face legal action

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday, urged Nigeria’s 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to account for the spendings of the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, allocations to states and the FCT since 2019.

It also tasked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to track and monitor the spendings of FAAC allocations by states and the FCT, and to probe any allegations of corruption linked to the allocations.

SERAP’s requests followed reports that the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, disbursed N1.123 trillion to the federal, state, and local governments for March 2024 alone. 

States collected N398.689 billion.

In a Freedom of Information request by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds including FAAC allocations, are spent.

“Without this information, Nigerians cannot follow the actions of their states and the FCT and they cannot properly fulfil their responsibilities as citizens.

“Trillions of FAAC allocations received by Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT have allegedly gone down the drain. 

The resulting human costs directly threaten the human rights of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.

“Ensuring that the FAAC allocations received by your state and the FCT are spent to achieve the security and welfare of Nigerians are serious and legitimate public interests.

“Secrecy in the spending of FAAC allocations received by your state and the FCT is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.

“Secrecy in the spending of FAAC allocations received by your state and the FCT also denies Nigerians the right to know how public funds are spent. Transparency in the spending would allow them to retain control over their government.

“The documents should include the evidence and list of specific projects completed with the FAAC allocations collected, the locations of any such projects and completion reports of the projects.

“The documents should also include details of the salaries and pensions paid from the FAAC allocations collected, as well as the details of projects executed on hospitals and schools with the FAAC allocations.