Following the revelation that the Nigerian Army shot and killed 11 unarmed, peaceful protesters and wounded many others during the #EndSARS demonstration on the 20th of October, 2020, leading Civil Society Organisations promoting democracy, human rights and accountable governance, are calling on Lagos State Government and the Federal Government to publicly apologize to Nigerians for the government’s blatant attempt to cover up the massacre.
Protesting Police Brutality
CODE and OXFAM urge the government to acknowledge the findings produced by the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led Judicial Panel and immediately act on its recommendations. The report not only revealed gross injustices committed by the Nigerian Army and police against peaceful protesters but also efforts to conceal the truth from the general public.
“It is terribly sad and disappointing that the government tried valiantly to cover up the injustice that happened at Lekki Toll Gate that night. The army killed peaceful, unarmed and helpless civilians and the government tried to sweep it under the carpet—the very lives they swore to protect. An accountable government would apologise to its citizens and adopt the recommendations of the panel,” Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE) said.
The Country Director Oxfam International in Nigeria has also described the report as laudable calling on relevant agencies of government to expedite action in bringing to justice all those whose action or inaction led to the death of these innocent young Nigerians. “We must rise as a nation against injustice, our country has witnessed a fair share of inequality when it comes to serving justice, this report provides the current regime an opportunity to rewrite the wrong for the sake of posterity, equity and justice’’ Dr Vincent Ahonsi, Country Director Oxfam International in Nigeria.
Now that the Lagos State Government has insisted on releasing a white paper, CODE demands that it must be objective, unbiased and free of any influence by state interests.
The #EndSARS protests, which gripped the country at the time, focused on the legitimate demands of the Nigerian youth for an end to police brutality and other forms of human rights abuses. The CSOs believe that, if the recommendations of the report are duly implemented, it would enhance healing and trust in the system. It would also improve transitional justice in Nigeria.
With its unique approach of training and empowering gender advocates, Nigeria’s leading civil society organization, Connected Development (CODE) is taking peculiar steps towards eradicating gender-based violence in northern Nigeria, focusing on Kano State.
On November 9, the organization announced the launch of the second phase of its Galvanizing Mass Action Against Gender-Based Violence in Kano (GMAA-K) campaign, highlighting its target to develop a multi-year Kano State Action Plan to end all forms of gender-based violence as well as drive the adoption and integration of the Violence against person prohibition (VAPP) Act and the Child’s Right Act.
The GMAA-K campaign which is supported by the Canadian High Commission is a direct response to the menace of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that is common practice in many states across Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria has the third highest rates of SGBV in the world, with data showing that at least 30 percent of women and girls aged between 15 and 49 have experienced one or multiple forms of sexual abuse.
These numbers are a representation of deep-rooted gender discrimination and a notorious culture of impunity – where access to justice and support remains a challenge for victims and perpetrators often walk free. The challenge is further heightened by a lack of laws and policies to protect the most vulnerable and punish convicted offenders.
While speaking on the organization’s approach of extirpating SGBV, Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of CODE revealed that during the course of the first phase of the project, the Kano State government opted to harmonize the VAPP Act provisions into the Penal Code Law.
“For the first quarter of this year, we worked towards the adoption of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Kano and recorded success as the government opted to harmonize/incorporate the VAPP Act provisions into the Penal Code Law, in order to reconcile provisions and have a single comprehensive law that addresses SGBV; the legal document is pending validation and enactment by the Kano state House of Assembly.”
He further stated that the new phase of the project will propel the validation exercise of the VAPP and Penal Code Law and equally work towards enhancing women’s rights.
Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Kevin Tokaron and CODE’s Chief Executive, Hamzat Lawal, signing the partnership contract
On his part, the Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Kevin Tokaron, submitted that SGBV is a crisis in Nigeria that must be condemned, stating that this campaign is both timely and necessary.
“It’s a crisis in Nigeria that we must condemn and work together to eliminate. For the past few years, we’ve seen a number of states in Nigeria pass and start to implement the VAPP Act which has given us hope but not all states have achieved this important milestone and much more work is needed, which is where our partnership with CODE comes into play. With Canada’s support, CODE will continue to galvanize mass action against SGBV in Kano State by ensuring the passage of the VAPP and Child’s Rights Act.”
Speaking on the health implication of SGBV and emphasizing the need for education, Dr Halimah Nuhu Sanda, who was also present at the press conference held at Bassan Plaza, Central Area, said that SGBV must also be viewed as a public health issue because many victims are left traumatized after being abused and not enough support is provided for them.
“SGBV is often regarded as a human rights violation which is correct but it should also be viewed as a mental health issue because victims are often left traumatized after sexual violence and it affects their mental state. When no mental health support is provided to victims, we harbour a mentally oppressed society, she concluded.”
I have been asked, many times, what makes Connected Development (CODE) and Follow The Money (FTM) thrive so well. My answer has never been ambivalent; People. At the centre of our work, are the passionate people who drive the campaigns, coupled with the digital space. Simply put, the marriage of technology and people birthed the revolution and success of FollowTheMoney and CODE, I just happened to be in the middle of the dynamics.
Now that our mission has expanded beyond the shores of Nigeria, it is easy to see the fundamental role played by digital technologies in harnessing the vast potentials of young people across the world, as they commit their talents towards advancing their communities by holding governments to account. Hence, our line of work at CODE requires painstaking analysis and cross-border innovations. The ever-evolving social media space and highly volatile multimedia models are our allies. We depend on them to keep marching forward.
Hamzat Lawal and Alfred Oji
However, we rely more on key human talents to coordinate these efforts. These skilled humans of CODE, navigate through the morass of progress reports and present them in a way that portray development details and resonate with our teeming volunteers, partners and wider public. This is why our social media posts and monthly newsletters have never failed to evoke the tenacity of our vision and the gravity of our projects, in Africa and beyond.
It is therefore instructive to note that someone was behind the curtain, on the keyboards, pushing out our labors in words and pictures. A young man whose heart burnt with an unquenchable fire for societal change, followed us day and night, as we “Follow The Money”, so that the world could keep tabs on what we were doing at every turn of the road. A man who was creative, clear and concise in all our communication materials. A man who made it possible for CODE to maintain a resounding presence in the digital space, where it all began.
Dear partners, supporters, friends and citizens, with extreme sadness, I announce that the gentle man who manned our online presence, Alfred Anicho Oji, CODE’s digital media officer, passed away on Friday, 22nd October, 2021. This came as a rude shock to all of us at CODE.
Alfred was dedicated and committed to the work of advocating for improved public services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. He was someone who, in every way possible, embodied CODE’s values and principles of justice, social accountability and empowering marginalized grassroots people. He was a committed development worker who held together our social media assets and consistently grew CODE and FTM’s online community simultaneously – showcasing our work and impact to local and international audiences.
Alfred was good-humored, friendly and, simply, a warm person to be around. His death was unimaginable and we will miss him sorely. We mourn this egregious loss of a fellow comrade in the fight for human rights and a fair world.
On a personal note, I can say that Alfred was not just a staff of CODE; he was a remarkable colleague, a trusted fellow and a perfect gentleman. He was dedicated to his job, and friendly to everyone. He was supportive, and vividly carried the vision of CODE. Indeed, I have lost a comrade in the struggle.
Alfred lived a full life. He gave himself completely to the cause he believed in. Thinking back now, it was as if he was in a hurry to finish his assignment before leaving. He was a hard worker. This was evident in his work etiquette. We saw that whenever the CODE team was on a field trip; he followed us virtually – in order to get the best stories for our digital platforms. In fact, his professional tenacity inspired everyone to be more productive.
Certainly, even to the last hour, there was a sense of urgency in his push for excellence and delivery. I remember that a day before he passed, Alfred shared his thoughts on the EndSARS protests anniversary. My personal photographer, Jide Ojediran, made the video. Jide said that he had wanted to make the recording the next Monday, but Alfred insisted that the video be made that Thursday. He was gone the next day. Thankfully, we now have Alfred’s three-minute perspective on police brutality in Nigeria. Obviously, here was a man that wanted to change the world, and make it a better place, with the little time he had.
He was a calm, content man who hardly got angry. For Alfred, CODE was a family. He recently brought his fiancée whom he was just about to wed to the office; apparently to introduce her to his second home. I remember the warm moments I had with the promising couple. My heart now bleeds at the pain his fiancée is presently going through at losing such a wonderful soulmate.
I remember when we traveled to Osun for our colleague, Busayo Morankinyo’s traditional and white wedding, and how we played, joked and made fun of life. Alfred insisted he became my “orderly” for the occasion – opening doors for me, and calling me “Boss”. I never knew it was the last CODE-play to feature our indefatigable brotherly comrade, Alfred. Oh, what a life!
That fateful Friday was the darkest of days for me, when I received a call that Alfred was no more. Even more painful, when I was told that as the CEO, I was the one to make the call to his family. It was one of the toughest moments of my human existence. I had yet to adjust to the shock, and was told that I was to be the bearer of the same bad news.
In all, I am profoundly encouraged to have worked with a young man like Alfred. He embodied what the quintessential Nigerian youth should be: Hope for a New Nigeria, dedication to work, family and colleagues. The phrase “fierce dedication to what is right” defines the way Alfred lived his life. And I am proud that I was part of that short but glorious sojourn.
He certainly made the world a better place. And his memory means a lot to CODE. Although his physical presence is gone, the lessons he taught us will strengthen our lives and our digital space for many years to come.
Alfred, with your death, I have learnt more lessons about life. Our time here on earth is brief and what always counts and matters is how we lived – the lives we touched and the difference we made in our society. You were very brilliant and very selfless. You believed so much in Nigeria and your work is evident of how much good you wished for our dear country, and how much better you would have made her, if you had the time. Like our heroes’ past, may your death not be in vain. I will miss your tenacious dedication to service. Till we meet again, Adieu, my friend and brother!
Hamzat Lawal is an activist and leads various grassroots campaigns across Africa. He is the Founder of Connected Development [CODE] and Follow The Money.
It is with immeasurable grief that we share the news of the demise of our dearest colleague and exceptional Digital Media Officer, Alfred Anicho Oji.
“If you have followed our social media posts and monthly newsletters, you can tell Alfred was dedicated and committed to the work of advocating for improved public services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. He was someone who, in every way possible, embodied CODE’s values and principles of justice, social accountability and empowering marginalised grassroots people”.
Alfred was good-humoured, friendly and simply a warm person to be around. His death is a shock to us all and we will miss him sorely.
“Alfred was a committed development worker who held together our social media assets and consistently grew CODE and FTM’s online community simultaneously – showcasing our work and impact to local and international audiences”.
In remembrance of him, we will coordinate a physical and virtual gathering to share memories and stories of Alfred, but more importantly, to collectively grieve the loss of a fellow comrade in the fight for human rights and a fair world.
We ask that you please remember his family and loved ones in your prayers in this difficult time.
Kate Mamuno, Honourable member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly representing Demsa constituency, has been decorated as Connected Development (CODE)’s education ambassador following her expressed commitment to promoting gender equality and girl-child education in the State.
The honourable member who is also the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development/ Finance, Appropriation and Budget, vowed to the cause during an official meeting with delegates from CODE, led by the Chief Executive and Malala Fund Education Champion, Hamzat Lawal, on August 24, at the Adamawa State House of Assembly.
Commending her dedication to social development, Lawal in an introductory statement, acknowledged Mamuno for being a role model and a team player in advancing the rights of women and girls to education and a better life.
In crowning her efforts and rewarding her reiterated commitment, Lawal, assisted by the project lead, Zaliha Lawal, honoured Mamuno with a sash indicating the dawn of her ambassadorship and a newly forged path towards improving the state of education in the North-East, focusing on Adamawa State.
During the peak of COVID-19, CODE conducted a study on the impact of the pandemic on Girl-child Education in the North-East and found a high prevalence of early girl-child marriage and out-of-school children in Adamawa state. This propelled the organization’s strategy and intervention towards developing the state of education as well as initiating policy to increase school re-enrollment, especially for the girl-child in the State.
Plugging into the grind, Honourable Mamuno voiced her eagerness to serve and beckoned on the organization to not relent in ensuring every child is educated, adding that she would need all the help she can to develop an adoptable Child Rights Bill that guarantees the safety of the girl-child.
Notably, Mamuno, was instrumental to the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Adamawa, imprinting her commitment towards working to eradicate violence against women and children. In her new role as CODE’s ambassador, she looks to not only stop violence against women and girls but also ensure they are well-educated and are empowered to thrive in the society.
CODE is a Non-Governmental Organization, on a mission to improve citizen’s access to credible information and empower local communities in Africa. It achieves this by amplifying their voices and building their capacity to hold their government accountable.
Its Follow The Money initiative advocates and tracks government/international aid spending in health, WASH, and education across grassroots rural communities to ensure and promote open government and service delivery. Since 2012, CODE has tracked an estimate of USD 307.6 million (in budgeted sums for projects) across 257 communities in Nigeria, improving over 4.8 million rural lives.
The ‘Strengthening State Capacities and Women’s Participation in Covid19 Response and Broader Peacebuilding Initiatives’ a campaign funded by UN Women in collaboration with the British High Commission, had the goal of enhancing Women’s leadership and participation in decision making in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project sought to advance women’s meaningful participation in the COVID-19 response and beyond in Kaduna state.
Through implementing coherent, comprehensible and multi-dimensional civic engagement, Connected Development [CODE] leveraged on its citizen mobilization and multidimensional engagement expertise, resources and strategies; presence and network in Kaduna states to broaden collaborations between relevant government agencies, enhance the capacities of 45 women, girls and men in the development of a checklist and tracker that served as a tool for monitoring and tracking government’s response and recovery decisions from a gender perspective. 18 out of these groups we trained using the checklist and monitored the Kaduna State Government’s COVID-19 response, actions and policies, across 5 local government areas in Kaduna state.
BeyGOOD Global Citizens Fellowship has appointed leading social accountability activist and one of Africa’s most influential leaders in youth development, Hamzat Lawal, on the advisory council for the 2021 Global Citizen Fellowship Program.
The Global Citizen Fellowship Program, powered by the world renowned singer, Beyoncé Knowles Carter’s Charity, BeyGOOD, and financially supported by award-winning American actor and filmmaker, Tyler Perry, is an initiative aimed at unearthing the remarkable potential and talent within African Youths.
According to a statement on the Global Citizen website, “we’re happy to announce an advisory council made up of incredible young leaders from both Nigeria and South Africa whose experience and creativity will help to take the Fellowship Program to the next level. The Advisory Council board will assist in providing insights to break new ground and guide the execution team on meaningful pathways to develop the 2021-2022 Fellows”.
Expressing excitement about the appointment, Lawal says; “I am truly honoured to be a member of the advisory council. My experience working with young people across Africa will enable me to guide and inspire the selected fellows to achieve the fellowship’s mission of empowering young people with skills that will help them shape policies that will alleviate poverty while being active citizens.”
The Advisory Council board which includes 2 Nigerian advocates— Hamzat Lawal and Aisha Yesufu and 3 South African youth advocates—Bonang Matheba, Charmaine Houvet, Nozipho Tshabalala and Tumi Sole; will provide insights to break new ground and guide the execution team on meaningful pathways to develop the 2021-2022 Fellows.
The Global Citizens Fellowship Program is committed to advancing innovations of black youth. Beyoncé has enrolled ten promising young South Africans and five Nigerians to the Global Citizen Fellowship Program. The Program is aligned to Global Citizen’s vision of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030.
In the wake of the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the House of Senate, fiscal transparency CSOs, Connected Development (CODE) and OXFAM Nigeria, have raised concerns over key issues in the reviewed bill, especially the marginalization of host communities where oil is explored.
According to CODE, the reviewed PIB did not sufficiently address the grey areas affecting host communities and has stripped the oil regions of the management, governance and administration of issues that affect them directly. The bill suggests that the constitution of the host communities development trust shall contain provisions mandating the management committee to set up an advisory committee (“host community advisory committee”), which shall contain at least one member of each host community. CODE believes that this is grossly inadequate and advises that the membership of the host community advisory committee should have at least 50% representation from the host communities.
CODE notes that the lack of adequate representation of the host communities in the advisory committee is an unfair approach that limits the ability of the Trust to fully develop needs assessment and development plans that can only be designed by the people in the community themselves.
Expressing displeasure, CODE’s Lead on natural resource governance and the extractives, Dr Onyekachi Onuoha, noted that restricting host communities’ sense of ownership as pointed out in the gaps in the bill, would fuel agitation in the region as it shows a blatant disregard for the needs and priorities of the people that are the worst hit by the impact of oil exploration. “The Senate is dashing the hopes of people directly affected by oil pollution, terminated livelihoods and underdevelopment caused by environmental degradation and other disasters occasioned by oil spills in the Niger-delta region,” Onyekachi added.
To worsen matters, the draft PIB proposed 2.5% of the annual operating expenditure of the Settlor (operator of an oil licence) to fund development in the area. Although the House of Representatives recommended 5% for settlors operating in the upstream and 2% for the settlors in the midstream and downstream sectors, lawmaker Sani Kaita from Katsina moved an amendment for it to be reduced to 3%, which the senate has adopted.
CODE’s team with community youth in Ogoni Land, Niger-Delta.
In addition to the call by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo- Agege, for the funds from gas flaring penalties to be channelled towards developing affected communities, CODE & OXFAM urge the Senate to rethink the grey areas highlighted and promote a greater sense of ownership that is acceptable and fair to the host communities.
Connected Development [CODE] in partnership with OXFAM since 2018, have driven a campaign in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria that raises awareness on improving accountability and transparency in the dealings between host communities, oil and gas companies, and the government, particularly to address challenges relating to the negative impact of the business operations of the extractive sector in these host communities, which usually has a causal relationship with conflict and fragility.
In a bid to provide African citizens with access to evidence on COVID resources, leading social accountability initiatives, Follow The Money and BudgIT, with learning partners Global Integrity, have launched a comprehensive user-friendly COVID-19 Fund Africa website as part of the COVID-19 Transparency & Accountability Project (CTAP).
The COVID Africa Tracking website has flexible navigation and functionality that allows visitors to access all data on COVID in Africa, including intervention resources, funds allocations, palliative distributions, accurate number of cases, data on COVID funds, vaccine management and government’s responsiveness.
“Our primary goal for designing the website is to improve citizens’ use of data for advocacy and government engagement in a manner that promotes transparency, accountability and open governance,” Follow The Money Founder, Hamzat Lawal, said.
The website currently displays information on $51.05B resources committed to COVID-19 across Africa, $5.08B In-Kind Donation as well as over 2,532 COVID Datasets across Africa. Published resources featured on the website analyse post-COVID economic environment and its impact on marginalized communities.
“In tracking government’s level of responsiveness, we have shown, through data on the CTAP website, overarching issues such as discrepancies in palliatives and cash transfer distributions, substandard healthcare compounded by the pandemic, disintegration of COVID data, vague procurement processes and blatant corruption by government officials.” BudgIT’s Chief Executive, Gabriel Okeowo added.
CODE and BudgIT team at the Press Launch of the COVIDAfrica Tracking Website
The COVID tracking site also featured COVID analysis and research resources for seven focus countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Nigeria. It highlights COVID status in these countries and also features knowledge centres on human angle stories curated from citizens across the countries. Built with a focus on user’s experience, the one-stop website (https://www.covidfund.africa/) has some of these attributes;
Live Updates on COVID data on a daily basis from all over Africa.
Data Display to provide face-level information on the total number of COVID fund allocation to Africa and COVID cases.
Resource Filters which allows citizens to easily narrow down to the country or specific resource portfolio by clicking the African country they would like data on.
Research and Papers on COVID tracking and government’s responsiveness in Africa.
Rapid Response Functionality allowing the site to be compatible with all browsers and mobile devices.
Under CTAP, the 3 CSOs seek to advocate and collaborate with governments in Africa to provide and institute proper accountability measures for all financial and material donations received. Since it kicked off 8 months ago, the project has inspired increased citizen engagement with issues of government’s transparency and accountability and a zero-tolerance for corruption in some countries. A case in point is the termination of public officials in Liberia for the misappropriation of COVID funds.
Overarching insights;
Weak transparency and poor government accountability impede the implementation of standard policies. This is evident in the inability of social accountability activists to access accurate data of funds received and disbursed by their government to tackle the pandemic.
Citizens’ apathy as a result of distrust in government. Citizen participation could have augmented the impact of certain relief packages such as the food packages which could have targeted the most vulnerable in society, including women, the disabled and the aged. Several sources at the local assembly level revealed to the CTAP team that the very poorest in their communities did not benefit from initiatives that were broadly distributed.
As a result of leveraging the media to amplify discoveries of misappropriations, embezzlements, and lack of preparedness by the government and institutions, there was an increased response to citizens’ demands for accountability.
In view of these highlights, the CSOs urge citizens to utilise the new COVIDAfrica platform to access data that they need to engage with their governments.
“We believe this is also an opportunity for African governments to improve communication with citizens and adopt progressive governance mechanisms in advancing transparency and accountability and regaining citizens’ trust”, Onigbinde added.
Social Accountability CSOs in these countries are aligning in their mission to hold their respective governments to account, mobilize citizens for social change, counter fake news and misinformation while using digital tools to engage with government accountability issues.
***
Footnotes:
Top findings from 7 African Countries;
Liberia
The research conducted in Margibi County on the stimulus package for private schools’ teachers revealed that only 15% of teachers in the private schools received their shares of the $1 million, while 85% of the participants did not receive their shares of the $1 million budgetary allocation for private schools’ teachers in the 2020/2021 national budget.
The emergency standard operating procedure under sub-section seven (7) states that COVID-19 funds should be operated in dual currency and a separate bank account either at the central bank or commercial and will be managed under six (6) signatories from MOH & NPHIL Office. However, we observed that COVID-19 funds totaling USD750, 000 and a cash donation of USD246, 300 has been mixed up with the Ministry of Health’s operation account at the Central Bank of Liberia.
Nigeria:
Conditions of primary healthcare centres have further deteriorated during the pandemic. In a recent research conducted by the CTAP team in fifteen states, a significant number of PHCs fall below the minimum PHC standard set by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), with their grossly dilapidated infrastructure, poor and inadequate staffing, and incapacity to administer vaccines.
Corruption in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that involved allocation of funds to combat COVID dated before COVID-19 happened.
Kenya
The Auditor General’s special report on Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), revealed that, the following procurement procedures and processes were violated:
Utilization of unbudgeted funds- according to the special report, Ksh.4.66 billion was allocated for Universal Health coverage (UHC) when actual cost should have been Ksh.2.9 billion.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) allocated KEMSA Ksh. 13.04 billion and the actual expenditure amounted to Ksh.8.52 billion. However, the special audit report notes conflicting information as National treasury notes that Ksh.4.82 billion to MoH for Covid-19 related expenditure at KEMSA.
Cameroon
The FCFA 180 billion (US$335.24 million) granted to the National Solidarity Fund and the additional contributions, donations and financial gifts received by the Government are clouded by a hail of corruption allegations, as the health sector struggles to keep workers motivated and secure, and to grant access to COVID 19 related services to the public.
The government has not carried out any formal audits and there are no open contracting platforms. Access to information remains a challenge. In terms of overarching transparency architecture in Cameroon, the existence and use of military ordinances and decrees in administering funds casts a cloud of opacity and works to suppress public opinion formation on accountability
Sierra Leone
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation officials expended Le5.22m ($475), allocated for COVID-19 response on the procurement of personal gadgets such as Apple airpods, JBL Bluetooth Speakers and Headsets.
During the Audit exercise, we observed that Le2.1bn ($191,414 ) was paid to an unidentified NaCOVERC Staff/Consultants. Further, procurement carried out by some MDAs were not only highly inflated, but also awarded to middlemen who know nothing about the goods and services.
Ghana
Irregularities in the procurement of antigen testing kits which cost $150 per kit, to be conducted at the Kotoka International Airport. The contract between the Ghana Airport Company and Frontier Health Service stipulated that an amount of $10 would be paid to the former with the latter taking $140. This constituted an uncannily lucrative deal for the testing company especially since the company was incorporated just days before the contract was awarded and had not registered with the PPA. Furthermore, some state agencies were bypassed in the awarding of the contract.
Malawi
Lack of preparedness by the Department of Disaster Management affairs in the way they disbursed funds without proper orientation of controlling officers. The Malawian experience seems to have a core problem of not just transparency and accountability but also prioritisation and management, despite the existence of the procedures in writing.
Despite allocation of huge sums of money through the Ministry of Education and District Councils, there was less to show as to what the funds have been used for. The Malawian CTAP research documented evidence that COVID-19 funds were “marred by incidences of abuse, maladministration, fraud and misplaced priorities.
President Buhari could leave a disreputable legacy if he does not assent to the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill (FASCB)
Perhaps, because President Buhari is a retired General, many Nigerians see him as a strongman. He was a Brigade Major at the 3rd Infantry Brigade in Nsukka during the Nigerian-Biafra war. Later on, in 1983, he plotted a successful coup d’état that aborted Nigeria’s Second Republic on claims of widespread corruption. Of course, coups begets coups. General Buhari was later toppled. Today, he is a politician, an elected president, a “democrat”.
Being careful of his new image, the president is uncertain of how he will be remembered after his tenure. He wants to be treated fairly and kindly by history, Nigerians and indeed humankind. Having won elections in 2015 and 2019, he knows that being remembered as a military dictator is no longer fashionable. Could he successfully erase his past as a coupist that overthrew an elected government.
Colleagues at CODE deliberating on the desirability of the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill (FASCB).
It is no news that political leaders want good legacies after active service. They want to be reckoned with as builders and statesmen who provided public services and listened to the people. But this is not the norm in Nigeria’s political sphere. Otherwise, why are they not uplifting lives, creating wealth and respecting the social contract as obtainable in advanced democracies? Instead, many of them promote political vulgarity; corruption, mistrust and poverty. If politicians passionately care about what legacies they would leave behind, they would govern differently. But good legacies aren’t cheap.
World history teaches us that when President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented himself for election in the middle of the great depression, he knew the challenges, risks and opportunities but he dared. With time, he succeeded – becoming the 32nd President (1933-1945) of the USA. Against the odds in this era, President Roosevelt helped Americans regain faith in themselves and their systems by defeating the great depression – the worst economic crisis in America’s history. Also, he famously “ended” World War II.
Back to President Buhari. In Nigeria, our dilemma is corruption – how to end public theft. In 2015 when the President presented his tripodal agenda: Reducing Insecurity, Fighting Corruption and Economic Diversification; upon which he defeated an incumbent president, Nigerians believed him and gave him the constitutional mandate. As such, President Buhari’s legacy would be judged by the tripodal agenda, especially “Fighting Corruption”.
Nigerians would remember him for his anti-corruption policies and positions, including his action or inaction to implement the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill (FASCB). The bill was passed by the National Assembly (House of Representatives – April 2016 and Senate – May 2019) and transmitted to him for assent. Since then, the President has neither assented (signed it into law) nor declined assent. The President’s silence on FASCB is worrisome because corruption continues to rob Nigerians of opportunities to live prosperous lives.
Historically, before the military intervention of 1967, the Audit Ordinance of 1956 was the statutory instrument empowering the Audit Office to discharge its mandate. At the time, the Audit Office had fewer encumbrances and discharged its responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Military interventionists changed the landscape of audit administration by abolishing the National Assembly that houses the Public Accounts Committee in democratic administrations.
In the second republic (1979 to 1983), appreciable progress was made through the 1979 Constitution to re-engineer and re-position audit administration in the country. The 1979 constitution gave the Audit Office extensive powers to audit all public funds and public institutions without exception. For example, section 79(2) of the 1979 constitution states inter alia: “The public accounts of the Federation and all offices, courts and authorities of the Federation, including all persons and bodies established by law entrusted with the collection and administration of public money and assets, shall be audited and reported on by the Auditor-General”.
Sadly, the coup of 1983 led by the General Buhari-Idiagbon regime brought a serious setback to the Audit Office and audit administration. In the Buhari-Idiagbon regime, the powers of the Auditor-General were watered down with the promulgation of Decree 17 of 1985 that prevented full audit coverage of public funds and institutions. Without doubts, this provision that exempts some agencies from the scrutiny of the Auditor-General is an impediment to effective public audit administration in Nigeria.
Since the fourth republic (from 2001 till date), the National Assembly has spent huge resources – material and otherwise, to amend Nigeria’s audit law, but none of these efforts has been successfully done. The failure of successive administrations to amend or enact a modern audit law to complement the provisions of the 1999 Constitution is a major impediment to the effective management of public funds.
Nonetheless, President Buhari has a window to right his past wrongs. He should exploit the renewed agitations by Nigerians and civil society led by Connected Development (CODE) under its Money Trail Project to append his signature to the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill (FASCB) and give the commission all required political backings to subject all government agencies to yearly audit processes, scrutiny and accountability. There is no better way to fight corruption than instituting process-led anti-corruption policies or laws and giving teeth to the laws.
For three reasons, President Buhari has a moral burden to sign the FASCB. First, it will largely influence how he will be remembered. Two, a new audit law will redeem and repair his infamous role in the past when he enacted Decree 17 of 1985 which effectively withdrew the power of the Auditor General to audit statutory agencies, commissions, established by law. The third reason is the institutionalisation of the rule of law in resource/fiscal governance – that no government agency can afford fiscal recklessness and go scot free. The ball is in his court!
Like President Roosevelt, Buhari should help Nigerians regain faith in themselves and their systems especially in this era of pervasive depreciation of trust in public institutions – ministries, departments and agencies. For this to happen, the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill (FASCB) should be signed into law without further delay or complacency. This is one way President Buhari will be remembered!
Author: Ani, Nwachukwu Agwu: Mr Ani writes from Enugu. He’s a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), University of Nigeria. He can be reached via his email: nwachukwu@gmail.com.
