… In 9 months
As Nigeria continues to grapple with a ballooning debt profile, Nigeria’s 36 state governors have reportedly spent N1.71trillion on recurrent expenditures, including allowances, rechargeable fans, foreign trips, office stationery, and aircraft maintenance in the first nine months of 2023.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in a letter dated November 25, 2023, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, accused the governors of mismanaging or diverting funds linked to the World Bank’s investments in several parts of the country, to fund unnecessary travels, buy exotic and bulletproof cars, and generally fund the lavish lifestyles of politicians.
For example, SERAP accused the Abia State government of spending the sum of N397.5million on ‘feeding and welfare’, as well as N223.4million on ‘refreshments and meals’.
The story is not different in Akwa Ibom State, where the government was fingered to have spent N92.54billion on allowances and social contributions, social benefits, travel and transport, utilities such as electricity chargers, Internet access charges, and materials and supplies such as office stationery, drugs, laboratory and medical supplies, maintenance, training in the first two quarters alone.
“The government has also spent N10m on hosting/mobilisation of political associations and interest groups, and N841.83m on entertainment at meetings” SERAP alleged.
“The Adamawa State government has reportedly spent N40.90billion on non-salary expenditure as of the end of quarter three, 2023 including on furniture allowance, travel and training, domestic and foreign, office stationery and consumables, and refreshments and meals.
“The Anambra State government also reportedly spent N15.17billion frivolous items, as of the end of quarter two, 2023. While Bauchi State government reportedly spent N70.25billion on frivolous items, the Bayelsa State government spent N58.26billion on travel, welfare packages, burial logistics, meeting expenses, ‘praise night/thanksgiving expenses’, and ‘marriage ceremony support’.
“In Lagos State, N440,750,000 was reportedly awarded to the Office of the Chief of Staff for the “procurement of a brand-new bullet-proof Lexus LX 600 for use in the pool of the Office of Chief of Staff.” Some N2billion was also reportedly budgeted to buy rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges in the Office of the Deputy Governor.
“The Benue State government reportedly spent N34.44bn on ‘special day celebrations’ ‘welfare packages’, ‘security votes’, and materials and supplies such as office stationery, and books.
“According to reports, Borno, Cross Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi states also respectively spent N32.63billion, N43.71billion, N152.15billion, N30.91billion, and N41.11billion on frivolous items and the public funds may have been mismanaged or diverted.
“Ekiti State reportedly spent N31.33billion on local and international travel and transport, miscellaneous such welfare packages, refreshments, honorarium and sitting allowances. According to reports, both Enugu and Gombe states respectively spent N33.36billion and N24.73billionn on frivolous items and the public funds may have been mismanaged or diverted.
“Imo State government reportedly spent N58.21billion on refreshments and meals, welfare packages, and other allowances. Jigawa State reportedly spent N49.64billion on transport and travelling, materials and supplies including drugs, vaccines, medical supplies, and stationeries.
“According to reports, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara and Kogi states also respectively spent N27.87billion, N17.79billion, N40.49billion, N24.51billion, N41.19billion, and N58.02billion on frivolous items and the public funds may have been mismanaged or diverted”.
SERAP, therefore, noted that “The World Bank and its partners have obligations under international anticorruption and human rights law, including a responsibility to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, prevent mismanagement or diversion of public funds, and redress any abuse of public trust that they may have contributed to.
It would be recalled that Nigeria’s Debt Management Office had disclosed that the total public debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory currently stands at N9.17 trillion while the Federal government’s total public debt portfolio is N78.2 trillion.