The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari following the mismanagement of allocated Ecological fund.
GoldenNewsNg reports that the group called on the President to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate the spending of the Ecological Fund by governments at all levels—federal, state, and local governments—from 2001 to date.”
This is contained in a statement released by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director on Sunday.
SaharaReporters had reported how a rampant flood situation across the country ravaged many communities, washed away farms and destroyed people’s property.
Commuters passing through these communities have been forced to take longer routes to get to their destinations.
Many roads were washed away while hectares of farmland, houses, vehicles and other structures also succumbed to the overpowering effect of the flood.
SERAP, therefore, urged the government to prosecute anyone or institutions found guilty of looting public funds earmarked for preventing floods.
In an open letter dated October 22, 2022, and signed by SERAP’s deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said “trillions of ecological funds have allegedly gone down the drain”.
“The resulting human costs directly threaten human rights – rights to life and to a place to live – rights that your government has an obligation to protect,” it said.
It further read in part, “Your government has the legal obligations to hold all tiers of government and emergency management agencies to account, and to trace, find, and recover any missing ecological funds.
“Your government has the legal obligations to address the calamitous consequences of flooding for the human rights of millions of people and to prevent and address some of the direst consequences that climate change may reap on human rights, especially given the disproportionate impact on vulnerable people and communities.
“Your government must use all means available to it to prevent and address the threats to human rights that result from climate change, and to provide access to effective remedies for victims when these rights are violated.
“Your government has a positive obligation to protect individuals against the threat posed to human rights by climate change, regardless of the causes.
“Your government also has legal obligations to effectively address the aftermath of the flooding such as deterioration in health, diminishing access to safe drinking water and susceptibility of the areas affected to disease.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”
The organisation noted that climate change has the “potential to exacerbate existing threats to human rights in the country”.
“Rising global temperatures will jeopardise many people’s livelihoods, increasing their vulnerability to poverty and social deprivation.
“In order to uphold its constitutional and international human rights obligations, your government must respond to the impacts of the flooding, and of climate change generally.
“According to the audit of the Ecological Fund Office carried out by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, (NEITI), the total amount allocated and received by the fund from December 2011 to November 2016 was N277 billion,” it added.
“The operations of the Fund from 2012 to 2016 reportedly showed that some of the disbursements were not utilised for the purpose for which it was established. During these periods, N74,170,932,645.20 was released to State Governments to solve ecological problems in their States.
“Impunity for corruption in the management of Ecological Fund will continue as long as high-ranking public officials go largely unpunished for their alleged crimes. It is by pursuing these allegations and taking the evidence before the court that the truth will be revealed and justice best served.”
