FG’s last-minute approval of N1.5trn for road construction, a clandestine plot for loot-sharing – HURIWA

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Thursday, said last-minute approval of huge amounts of money by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is fishy and a clear clandestine plot for “loot-sharing” amongst outgoing ministers, government officials and contractors.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the Buhari administration which ends on May 29 should be winding down and not be approving last-minute but suspicious loans and moneys.

Recall that the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved N1.535 trillion for the construction and rehabilitation of eleven roads across the country, under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Tax Credit Scheme.

The Federal Government also approved the sum of N3.4 billion for the procurement of a surveillance aircraft for the use of the nation’s Customs Service. This is despite that Nigeria has failed to service its debt to China which has accumulated to N110.31 billion in the last two years, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).

In the same breath, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; and other government officials on Wednesday failed to appear before the House of Representatives to explain alleged payment of $200 million to two private firms as consultancy services fees on whistleblowers recoveries. There is also the reported borrowing of over 800 million USD purportedly meant for palliatives to cushion effects of petrol subsidy withdrawal. HURIWA believes this is unbelievably suspicious and must be rejected by all and sundry including the Nigerian Labour Congress that is about to be bribed with a phantom salary upgrade for few workers in the public service. The Rights group said the government lacks credibility and is not a respecter of transparency and Accountability and therefore will loot the multimillion loans it got from the multilateral funding agency for palliatives for petrol subsidy withdrawal.”

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “Without a doubt, the outgoing Federal Government officials are trying to fleece Nigeria of humongous amounts before leaving office on May 29, 2023. At the end of the day, this act sinks Nigeria deeper into debts overhang and coming with just four weeks to the disengagement of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. This shows that it is a calculated plan by this government that lacks transparency and accountability to hijack the resources for themselves and families.

“We demand that by now government should be winding down by stopping approval and releases if public funds to outgoing officials to steal. It is another brazen attempt to loot public funds.