JUST-IN: Alleged N206bn budget padding: Arrest Finance Minister now – HURIWA tasks EFCC

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Monday, tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arrest or invite for interrogation the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed over the alleged insertion of N206,242,395,000 into the 2023 budget of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.

HURIWA has also cautioned the anti-graft body to steer off the naming of serving government officials as ambassadors of EFCC since the anti-corruption body is not a local chief or emir that awards traditional titles but is a very serious agency of government set up to wage a real war against the many embedded economic saboteurs working within the government circles who have destroyed Nigeria’s economy.

HURIWA said the recent announcement purporting to name the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Communications Commission, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta as an Ambassador of the EFCC, is absolutely irregular and inappropriate since that would mean that the holder becomes a sacred cow and therefore the financial affairs of that agency under his control may never come under any kind of scrutiny should any allegations of misconduct arise in the near future.

The Rights body asked the EFCC to allow the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation with its pastime of giving awards to government officials including state governors that owe teachers a backlog of salaries.

HURIWA prayed the EFCC to respect itself because Nigerians see it as such an institution that people look up to in terms of waging anti-graft war come rain or shine, therefore, awarding ‘chieftaincy titles of the so-called ambassadors of EFCC, belittles the essence of the anti-graft commission.”

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, rejected the explanation of the finance ministry that the bogus amount was wrongly captured in the budget estimates submitted to the National Assembly just as it insists that those in charge must be arrested to give a proper statement under oaths.

The Rights group said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is encouraging corruption, contrary to what is considered ‘weird propaganda’ in some quarters that it is fighting graft.

Recall that the humanitarian affairs minister, Sadiya Farouq, told the National Assembly that N206,242,395,000 found its way into its budget without its knowledge.

But, the Special Adviser to the finance minister on Media and Communications, Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, in a statement said the funds in question were wrongly captured in the 2023 Appropriation Bill for the humanitarian affairs ministry.

The Senate similarly uncovered the forgery of signatures of participants in payment of over N208 million in the zonal skill acquisition organized by the Ministry of Labour led by Chris Ngige.

Commenting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “Corruption in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet is mind-boggling and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission are overlooking these spectacular crimes.

“This, sadly, is the greatest cause of insecurity because a corrupt government is even a threat to national security.