LINUS CHIBUIKE
THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address corruption in the electricity and education sectors.
It specifically asked the President to instruct appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate the allegations of missing N11trillion in the electricity sector since the return of democracy in 1999.
Deputy Director, SERAP, Oluwadare Kolawole, said at a press conference, that Buhari must ensure that suspected perpetrators of corruption were brought to justice and that any missing public funds should be recovered.
He said despite President Buhari’s promise to intensify the fight against corruption, access to regular electricity supply had become almost non-existent, owing to systematic and widespread corruption in the sector.
He spoke in an address, titled, “Little to No Progress: Stopping Grand Corruption and Impunity in Nigeria”.
He urged the National Assembly to publish the reports of all power sector-related probes for necessary advocacy action and prosecution by relevant anti-corruption agencies.
He called on the World Bank President, David Malpass, to release information and documents relating to spending of funds approved and released to Nigeria between 1999 and 2020 to improve access to regular and uninterrupted electricity supply, including copies of supervision reports, periodic reviews and other appropriate reports by the bank.
The statement said, “President Buhari should urgently address corruption in the electricity and education sectors by instructing appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate the allegations of missing N11trillio in the electricity sector since the return of democracy in 1999, and to ensure that suspected perpetrators of corruption are brought to justice and that any missing public funds are fully recovered.
“Undertake a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the power sector privatization to publish the details of ownership of public stakes of 40 per cent in those entities, and should ensure that government public resources are not used to subsidize private entities.”
