SURE-P: SERAP asks ICPC to probe missing N500bn

SURE-P: SERAP asks ICPC to probe
missing N500bn
on november 18, 2013 at 12:54 am in news
BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH
LAGOS—Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project, SERAP, has petitioned the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission, ICPC, urging them to investigate
alleged shortfall in the remittance of accrued funds
for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment
Programme, SURE-P, projects amounting to over
N500 billion from January 2012 to September 2013.
In a petition by SERAP through its Executive
Director, Mr. Tokunbo Mumuni, the group also
requested the anti graft commission to bring to
justice the perpetrator of the act.
The group stated: “SERAP is seriously concerned
that the failure to account for the shortfall of about
N500 billion out of the over N800bn which ought to
have accrued for the SURE-P projects is a flagrant
denial of the social and economic development of
millions of Nigerians.
The inability of government officials to account for
huge amount of resources mapped out for the
improvement of the country is a serious impediment
and setback to the goals of development for which
the SURE-P funds have been set aside to achieve
in the first place.  The denial of the rights of millions
of Nigerians has contributed hugely to extreme
poverty and civil strife.”
It requested the ICPC to carry out a comprehensive
and transparent investigation of allegations of
shortfall in the remittance of accrued SURE-P funds
in the petroleum sector and to make public its
findings, arguing that the investigation would serve
as a necessary precursor to strengthening
transparency and accountability and reducing the
incidence of corruption in the sector.
SERAP also requested for a platform to engage
policy makers and political leaders in developing an
anti-corruption strategy such as establishing an
independent audit group for the purposes of
ensuring and recovering the outstanding remittance
recovered for the execution of SURE-P projects.
According to the group, “The problem is
compounded by the continuing failure of the
government to effectively ensure transparency and
a genuine system of accountability as well as its
failure to investigate and prosecute those high
ranking public officials suspected to be involved in
corruption. We recall the heightened agitations
which followed shortly after the announcement on
the removal of oil subsidy in early 2012. The partial
removal of oil subsidy targeted a list of
developmental demands which the SURE-P funds
was set up to meet.
“The challenges created in the shortfall of funds
accruing to the SURE-P and the shortfall in
remittance to the SURE-P management team, as
well as the failure to account for such shortfall is
already an outright failure of government to allay the
fears of millions of Nigeria against even a partial
removal of oil subsidy.”