The Northern Coalition for Accountability and Public Trust has dismissed allegations made by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), describing the claims as misleading and lacking proper context.
The coalition said public accountability should not be reduced to what it described as “headline activism and media sensationalism,” insisting that available records and findings do not support widely circulated claims of missing N26.9 billion linked to the agency.
In a statement issued in Kaduna by its Executive Director, Abubakar Yusuf Yaro, the group said its independent review showed that the USPF received an average annual allocation of about N7.5 billion during the period under review.
“Simple arithmetic, therefore, raises a legitimate question: how does an institution with an average yearly funding of N7.5 billion suddenly ‘lose’ N26.9 billion?” the statement queried.
According to the coalition, more than N13.8 billion of the amount referenced in the allegations related to operating surplus deductions reportedly managed directly by the Nigerian Communications Commission before transfers were made to the USPF.
“According to the records reviewed, the USPF neither received nor retained those funds in the first place,” the statement added.
The coalition further argued that claims involving multi-year projects and budget implementation cycles were being misrepresented, noting that telecommunications infrastructure projects such as rural broadband expansion, ICT centres, base stations and connectivity infrastructure are typically executed across several fiscal years.
It maintained that such implementation timelines are standard practice within public finance and government budgeting systems.
“At this juncture, we want to clarify that the records further indicate that the procurement processes referenced in the allegations passed through established approval channels, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and relevant tenders boards. Payments reportedly followed certification procedures supported by documentation, reports and project evidence,” the coalition stated.
The group questioned why, according to it, clarifications and explanations were allegedly ignored before the allegations were made public. It also claimed that previous audit reviews and findings reportedly conducted by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee found no irregularities in the operations of the USPF during the same period under review.
“This raises serious concerns about the motive behind attempts to create the impression of large-scale fraud without allowing constitutional oversight institutions to complete their work,” the statement said.
The coalition argued that audit observations should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of corruption, stressing that such observations are ordinarily subjected to clarification through institutional review processes.
“Responsible civic engagement demands balance, verification and fairness. Any organisation genuinely committed to the public interest should first seek clarification from all parties before publishing conclusions capable of damaging institutional credibility or misleading citizens,” it added.
NCAPT described the USPF as one of Nigeria’s major intervention platforms for rural connectivity and digital inclusion, noting that the agency has supported ICT access and telecommunications infrastructure projects across underserved communities nationwide.
The coalition urged the National Assembly and other oversight bodies to independently review all relevant documents and allow due process to run its course without external pressure or media sensationalism.
“Nigerians deserve truth, not manufactured alarm,” the statement concluded.
