Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project
(SERAP) has petitioned Ibrahim Mustafa Magu,
Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) requesting him to “urgently begin a thorough,
transparent and effective investigation into allegation
that N500 million Safe School funds for Chibok girls,
commissioned by former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala to rebuild the Government Girls School in
Chibok, is missing and cannot be accounted for.”
The organization urged the EFCC to “invite for
questioning, and name and shame anyone suspected to
be involved in the alleged diversion, including the
contractors allegedly handling the project.”
In the petition dated 27 December 2016 and signed by
SERAP senior staff attorney Timothy Adewale, the
organization said: “The allegation that N500m has been
lost to corruption has resulted in denying the girls
access to education, and shows the failure of the
former President Goodluck Jonathan government to live
up to Nigeria’s commitments under the global Safe
School Declaration.”
The petition reads in part: “SERAP believes that the
diversion of the funds will expose the school to attacks
in the future.
This is a fundamental breach of the country’s
obligations including guarantees of non-repetition,
which contribute to prevention and deterrence of future
attacks.”
“SERAP urges the EFCC to work with the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) to set up a mechanism to monitor
government’s spending of the safe school funds in
order to ensure that the funds are spent exactly to
prevent and deter future attacks, and to allow the girls
to go back to school as soon as possible.”
“SERAP is seriously concerned that the school has
remained in a state of disrepair since the abduction of
the girls, and students have remained at home.”
“SERAP is concerned that the alleged diversion of
N500m meant for reconstruction of Government Girls
School in Chibok has directly violated the right to
education of the girls, as guaranteed under the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
“The diversion has undermined the obligation of the
government to take step to the maximum of its
available resources to achieve the right to education.
The alleged diversion also shows a serious breach of
anti corruption legislation including the EFCC Act, and
Nigeria’s international obligations under the UN
Convention against Corruption and the African Union
Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption
both of which the country has ratified.”
“The EFCC should ensure full accountability and bring
to justice anyone found to be responsible for corruption
and diversion of safe school funds. The EFCC should
also ensure that all proceeds of corruption are
recovered and returned back to the treasury.”
“This request is based on allegation by Governor Kashim
Shettima that N500 million set aside by the government
of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is missing and
cannot be accounted for.
The funds were released for rebuilding of the
Government Girls School in Chibok under the Safe
School Initiative programme, which was commissioned
former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.”
