The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the nine oil-producing states in Nigeria to publicly provide details of spending of the oil derivation refunds of N625bn recently paid to them by the Federal Government.
SERAP also urged the governors of the states to provide details and locations of projects executed with the money made available to them.
A statement signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s deputy director said is in the public interest to publish the details of spending of the refunds.
Oluwadare noted that Nigerians have the right to know how their states are spending the refunds. It is part of their legally enforceable human rights.
The Nigerian government had recently paid N625.43 billion as oil derivation refunds to the governors of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Rivers, Ondo, Imo and Cross River states.
The payments by the Nigerian government made up for the 13 per cent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds dating from 1999 to 2021.
Oluwadare said that publishing details of the spending of the oil derivation refunds would ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties in the management of public funds.
His words:
“SERAP urges you to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly track and monitor the spending of the oil derivation refunds by your state.
“SERAP also urges you to provide details of the transparency and accountability mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that the derivation refunds are not mismanaged, diverted or re-stolen.”
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