Despite the recent corruption scandal in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, it has also been revealed that over N195 billion was paid into private accounts by some Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) in the last six years in violation of financial regulations. This has seemingly shown that the endemic corruption in the MDAs may take a very long time to be curbed. A breakdown of the latest financial infractions shows that the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta tops the list of the MDAs that made the unauthorised payments.
The sum of N8.3billion was reportedly paid into a proxy account in 130 transactions. This is closely followed by the Nigerian Office of New Partnership for African Development, with N1.5billion paid into different individual accounts in 111 tranches. The agency is a Pan-African poverty eradication programme, funded by member states. Other agencies involved in the illegal payments included the Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Internal Affairs (now known as Ministry of Interior), the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Only recently, the Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukayode, disclosed that some workers in the agency have been implicated to have received bribes from suspects they are investigating for various financial crimes. According to him, “the craze and quest for gratification, bribes and other compromises by some of our investigators are becoming embarrassing and this must not continue. I will not hesitate to wield the big stick against any staff of this commission.”
More than 50 MDAs are reportedly involved in the N159billion scandal. It was reported last year that over N13.6billion allocated to MDAs was paid into different private accounts in breach of 2009 financial regulations, which forbid such illegal transaction and recommend stiff punishment for offenders. About N1.5 billion was allegedly paid into private accounts in the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning. The amount was paid for various projects and services between February and December, 2023. So far, none of the agencies has refuted the findings.
We decry the endemic corruption in the MDAs. It is sad that in spite of efforts by government to fight corruption, the menace is still rife in the country, especially in the MDAs. Indeed, the latest report is damning and unacceptable. But it has confirmed the rot in the MDAs as attested by various reports by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF).
The office of the AuGF office has revealed mind-boggling financial irregularities in MDAs and the failure of government and institutions to check corruption. This is more depressing; especially at this time that the country is very much in need of money to execute some projects and meet other critical financial obligations. The inability of the government to tame corruption is baffling. Similarly, government’s apparent silence over some corruption allegations is worrisome.
In 2022, the office of the AuGF revealed that his office uncovered unverified balances in the consolidated finance statement of the MDAs totaling N4.87 trillion. The audit report stated that National Assembly lawmakers “diverted” over N5.2billion in the same year covered by the audit report. It indicted the House of Representatives for allegedly making payments from salary account that ran into billions of naira without payment vouchers as required by law.
The report said, the “expenditure ranging from running costs to repairs and maintenance could not be accounted for.” The impunity in the MDAs should not be allowed to continue. The financial abuse in the MDAs festers because those entrusted to monitor their expenditures are compromised. Last year, the Senate Public Accounts Committee said it uncovered a loss of N1trillion in the MDAs through fraudulent practices, but said its report and recommendations submitted to the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari were not implemented. The report covered the financial years spanning 2015 to 2018.
Therefore, let the federal government fight corruption in the MDAs by prosecuting all reported cases of malfeasance in the agencies. Those involved must be adequately sanctioned. Unfortunately, Nigeria has not done well in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for many years. This is not something to be proud of. Therefore, there should be a renewed effort to fight corruption in the MDAs.