CSOs Decry Unutilized Recovered Funds from Diezani and Alamieyeseigha Cases
A coalition of civil society organizations monitoring recovered assets has expressed deep concern over the non-utilization of significant funds recovered from high-profile corruption cases. The groups highlighted the $50 million recovered from former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Madueke and the $954,000 recovered from former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, both of which remain unspent despite intended purposes.
Stalled Projects and Unaccounted Funds
The CSOs revealed that one year after the Galactica restitution agreement was signed for the repatriation of $52.88 million linked to Diezani Madueke, assigned to the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, the initiative has yet to commence. Furthermore, the exact location of these repatriated funds has not been publicly declared, raising transparency issues.
In the case of Alamieyeseigha, three years after the $954,000 was repatriated to fund the development of Primary Health Care centers in Bayelsa State, the state government is still in the procurement process of selecting NGOs to monitor the project's implementation. This delay has left the intended health centers undeveloped, according to CSO findings.
Accountability Concerns Raised at Town Hall Meeting
During a two-day town hall meeting on the utilization of recovered assets and the presentation of accountability reports, David Ugolor, Executive Director of the African Network for Economic and Environmental Justice (ANEEJ), confirmed that none of the projects have started. "Our investigations show a complete lack of progress on these fronts," Ugolor stated.
With support from the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), ANEEJ collaborated with CSOs in Bayelsa State to visit PHCs designated to receive the Alamieyeseigha funds. They discovered that the health centers had not been developed, highlighting a gap between fund recovery and actual implementation.
Lack of Transparency from Agencies
Ugolor also pointed out that the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency has not provided adequate information on the whereabouts of the $50 million earmarked for renewable energy expansion. This lack of communication fuels public skepticism about how recovered assets are managed.
While applauding the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its efforts in recovering proceeds of crime, Ugolor emphasized that recovery alone is insufficient. "Citizens are demanding answers on how these funds are used and who benefits from their utilization," he stressed, calling for greater accountability and swift action to ensure recovered assets serve public interests.
