Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project
(SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Timipre Sylva,
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to use their leadership
positions “to urgently probe how N116 million was spent by your
Ministry to buy biros, letterhead, and toners in 2015, and to
disclose the amount spent on the same items between 2016 and 2020,
and if there is evidence of misuse of public funds, refer the
matter to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for
prosecution.”
The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had last
Thursday before the Senate Public Accounts Committee revealed that
officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources spent
N116m to buy biros, letterhead, and toners in one year, and alleged
“contravention of the Public Procurement Act 2017 by the Permanent
Secretary.”
In the letter dated 12 December 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy
director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The Nigerian
Constitution of 1999 [as amended], the UN Convention against
Corruption and African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating
Corruption require the government to ensure that Nigeria’s
resources are used effectively and efficiently, and in a manner
consistent with the public interest.”
SERAP said: “An effective and efficient ministry ought to keep
careful track of how it spends public money, and put in place a
system to eliminate corruption, mismanagement, unnecessary,
inefficient, or unreasonable expenditures.”
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According to SERAP: “Transparency and openness in the spending
by your Ministry would ensure the public trust, efficient,
effective and competent delivery of public goods and services.
Openness in the spending by your Ministry will also strengthen the
country’s democracy and promote efficiency and integrity in
government.”
The letter copied to Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, read in part: “Any
allegations of misuse of public funds may constitute serious
misconduct that impairs the efficiency of your Ministry, and
undermines public confidence in the ability of ministries,
departments and agencies [MDAs] to provide essential public goods
and services to Nigerians.”
“SERAP is concerned that the allegations by the Office of the
Auditor-General raises serious violations of anti-corruption
legislation, the Nigerian Constitution, and international
anti-corruption standards.”
“Public officials and MDAs should act and take decisions on the
spending of public funds in an open, transparent, and accountable
manner, and submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure
this.”
“A democratic government accountable to the people must be as
transparent as possible and must not withhold information for
self-serving reasons or simply to avoid embarrassment.”
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“We would therefore be grateful if you would indicate the
measures being taken to probe the spending of N116m on biros,
letterhead, and toners in 2015, and disclose the total amount spent
on the same items between 2016 and 2020 within 14 days of the
receipt and/or publication of this letter.”
“If we have not heard from you by then as to the steps being
taken in this direction, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall
take all appropriate legal actions to compel your Ministry to
implement these recommendations in the interest of transparency and
accountability.”
“The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources has a legal
obligation to conduct an effective investigation into any
allegations of breach of anti-corruption legislation and
international standards, including those relating to the spending
by the Ministry on biros, letterhead, and toners between 2015 and
2020.”
“Our requests are consistent with the government’s repeated
promise of transparency, and in keeping with the requirements of
the Nigerian Constitution, national anti-corruption legislation,
Freedom of Information Act, and Nigeria’s international
obligations, including under the UN Convention against Corruption,
and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating
Corruption.”
“According to our information, the 2015 report of the Auditor
General for the Federation shows that officials of the Federal
Ministry of Petroleum Resources spent N116m to buy biros,
letterhead, and toners in one year.”
“The breakdown of the expenditure showed that the ministry spent
N14.5m to purchase Schneider biros, N46m to print the ministry’s
letterhead, and N56m to procure toner for its photocopy
machines.”
“According to the Office of the Auditor-General, ‘the contract
for the supply of Schneider biros worth N14.5m was split into
smaller packages of less than N5m each and was awarded to four
different companies in order to circumvent the permanent
secretary’s approval threshold of N5m.’”
“’ The contract for the printing of the ministry’s letterhead
worth N46m was also split and awarded to 11 different contractors.
The contract for the supply of toners worth N56m was split and
awarded to seven different contractors.’”
“The Office of the Auditor-General has also reportedly told the
Senate Public Accounts Committee that the permanent secretary has
failed and/or refused to “explain this contravention of the Public
Procurement Act 2007.”