Following a request by President Muhammadu Buhari to borrow a fresh $5.5bn loan, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a Freedom of Information, FoI request to the president to provide the spending details of all loans obtained by his government since May 29, 2015.
SERAP issued 7 days ultimatum to President Buhari to include details and locations of projects on which the loans have been spent, failure to do so, the group said will lead to an appropriate legal actions.
BREAKING: $5.513bn loan: We’ve asked President Buhari to send us spending details of loans by his government since 2015, list of projects; amount of loans since 1999; repayment conditions; & to audit all the loans. This would remove opacity, improve transparency & public trust.
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) May 31, 2020
The organisation also urged Buhari to set up an independent audit of all loans to resolve any allegations of mismanagement and corruption, and to publish spending details of loans obtained by successive administrations since 1999, list of countries and bodies that have given the loans, and specific repayment conditions.
SERAP, in a FoI request signed by deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, expressed concerns that while governments since 1999 have borrowed money in the name of Nigeria and its citizens, much of the funds have reportedly been mismanaged, stolen or squandered.
The group warned that opacity in the spending of loans would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of citizens.
SERAP stated that instead taking more loans and increasing Nigeria’s debts burden to fund the opulent lifestyles of former state governors receiving life pensions, Buhari should cut the costs of governance.
The group lamented the massive and growing national debts and other issues like quality education, adequate healthcare, clean water, and regular electricity supply.
SERAP told Buhari to promptly instruct Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the spending of all loans obtained since the assumption of office in May 2015.
Copied in the FoI request are Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance and Ms Patience Oniha, Director-General of the Debt Management Office.
Recall that last week, the President sought the National Assembly’s approval for a fresh loan of $5.513bn, reportedly to fund the 2020 budget deficit, critical projects, and support some states.
This followed a recent approval of a N850 billion loan.
Similarly, another loan of $22.79bn, already approved by the Senate, is pending before the House of Representatives.
