By Shishang John
February 7, 2024
Last month, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, was suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu following public outrage over the disclosure that she authorised the payment of N585.2 million public funds into a private account in violation of financial transparency laws.
However, findings show that the “crime” she is accused of is prevalent across several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). At least N159.6 billion (N159,626,619,959) was paid into private accounts by MDAs in six years, a review of data published by Govspend, a platform tracking Government spending, show.
The findings do not exonerate Ms Edu but show that the problem is not peculiar to her and is widespread within the Nigerian government.
The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta tops the list of MDAs making such controversial payments with a total payment of N8.3 billion in 130 transactions to Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, an ex-Niger Delta militant.
The Nigerian office of the New Partnership for African Development, a pan-African poverty-eradication programme funded by member states, comes next having paid N1.5 billion in 111 tranches to one Afangekung Mfon Okon.
Other MDAs that made multiple transactions into private accounts include the Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Women Affairs, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Over N13bn public funds paid into private accounts in 2023
Last year, more than N13.6 billion was paid into private accounts in violation of the country’s Financial Regulations 2009.
The violators include the Office of the SGF, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and many parastatals.
Findings showed that the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta paid N4.72 billion into individual accounts of some camp leaders in the Niger Delta where the struggle for oil wealth and agitation against environmental hazards have propelled ethnic militias to pick arms against the state.
For instance, in a total of 10 transactions, Mr Victor-Ben, the ex-militant also known as Boyloaf, received N564.7 million from the office between July and November 2023. According to the transactions’ descriptions, the money was meant for “delegates of Boyloaf camp.”
Money paid into Ebikabowei Victor-Ben’s account in 2023
His counterparts also benefited, having received N3.5 billion collectively.
other Niger Delta camp leaders top 10 leaders
Despite its oversight functions, the SGF office was also caught in the web. It paid public funds amounting to N3.1 billion into 15 private accounts between March and December 2023.
Sadiya Umar Farouq, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The scandal-ravaged Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development paid at least N918.5 million public funds into private accounts. This is in addition to other scandalous payments in the ministry as seen in the cases of the pioneer Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq and her successor, Betta Edu.
Suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning paid N1.5 billion in tranches to 16 individuals for various projects and services between February and December last year.
In other suspicious transactions, the Ministry of Women Affairs paid N1.6 billion into the accounts of vaguely identified individuals for travel purposes, palliative for widows, and monitoring and evaluation of capital projects among others.
Between March and September, NEPAD paid N1.67 billion into the accounts of two individuals, Bello Nagwaggo and Afangekung Mfon Okon.
EFCC, Police, Human Rights Commission, AGF office, others complicit
While five parastatals paid billions into private accounts, 12 others paid in millions with the lowest being N17.6 million.
The MDAs that paid millions into individual accounts include, the EFCC, Police Formations and Commands, Nigeria Police Academy Wudil, Kano, National Directorate of Employment, National Commission for Refugees, Auditor General for the Federation, National Commission for Persons with Disability, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Federal Character Commission, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Budget Office of the Federation and National Human Right Commission.
Chapter Seven, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009 states that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”
