The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct an investigation into Borno State’s management of billions from the Ecological Fund since 2001.
This includes N816 million collected between January and June 2024, of which only N20 million was allocated for its intended purpose,according to Africa Health Report, (AHR) earlier report.
SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday noted, “Your government has a legal obligation to ensure that the money meant to stop the floods is not lost to corruption.”
The organisation highlights that the recent floods, exacerbated by a dam burst, have devastated Borno, affecting about one million people and leading to significant loss of life.
In a letter dated September 21, SERAP urged the President to instruct the Attorney General and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate any suspected mismanagement. “If there is sufficient admissible evidence, suspected perpetrators should face prosecution,” the letter stated.
The group also urged for measures to be taken to ensure justice for flood victims, pointing out that many are currently living in inadequate conditions without food or clean water. “The devastation in Borno underscores the need for transparency and accountability in the management of ecological funds,” they argued.
SERAP also called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, senator. George Akume, to collaborate with anti-corruption bodies to monitor fund utilisation across all states and emergency management agencies.
They warned that failure to address these issues could lead to legal action.
“As the floods in Borno state have shown, the lack of accountability directly threatens fundamental human rights,” SERAP concluded, urging swift action to rectify the situation.
