The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into allegations that senior government officials and politicians named in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) forensic audit report have obstructed its publication.
The report, which covers the period between 2000 and 2019, was commissioned to examine alleged financial misconduct and structural inefficiencies within the NDDC. SERAP expressed concern that the findings of the audit have yet to be made public and that recommendations for accountability and reform remain unimplemented.
In a statement issued on Sunday, SERAP described the obstruction or suppression of the report as an effort to undermine justice.
“Obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and wilful attempt to obstruct, prevent and pervert the course of justice for the allegations of corruption in the NDDC,” the organisation said.
SERAP further warned that delaying publication of the report has allowed those suspected of wrongdoing to avoid prosecution, and denied affected communities in the Niger Delta access to justice.
“The continued failure to publish the audit report undermines public trust and confidence, particularly of victims of corruption in the Niger Delta who have waited far too long for justice and accountability,” the group said.
SERAP noted that the Nigerian government has a constitutional and international obligation to act on the findings of the audit, even if the contents may be politically or personally uncomfortable for those implicated.
“While the audit report may make uncomfortable reading for the indicted officials and politicians, your government has a constitutional responsibility to publish it and act upon its recommendations,” SERAP stated in a public message addressed to President Tinubu.
Citing Article 25 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), SERAP argued that any act interfering with the initiation or outcome of a corruption investigation is a punishable offence under international law.
“The forensic audit report of the NDDC can no longer be left to gather dust,” the organisation said, urging the Tinubu administration to publish the report in full and take steps toward prosecuting those named.
As of the time of this report, the presidency had not issued a formal response to SERAP’s statement. The forensic audit of the NDDC was first ordered in 2020 and submitted to the federal government in 2021, but its contents have not been made public.
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