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April 26, 2024
SERAP said that the probe should find out the public officers in any state or the FCT who used public funds to pay the tuition of their children.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu’s administration to probe the accounts of all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
SERAP said that the probe should find out the public officers in any state or the FCT who used public funds to pay the tuition of their children.
The organisation said that the Nigerian government must publish the findings of the investigation and that the schools involved should be made to return the money to the government with interest.
“We urge EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission) to probe the accounts of Nigeria's 36 states and FCT to trace if public funds are being used to pay school fees for the children of public officers and to publish the findings.
“The schools involved should be made to return the money with interest,” SERAP wrote in a post on its X account on Friday.
The call comes amid controversy surrounding the case of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is being investigated by the EFCC for paying a total of $845.852.84 in instalments to the American International School, Abuja for his children's school fees.
In December 2023, SaharaReporters exclusively reported the EFCC had seized $760,910.84 from the money that Bello paid to American International School, Abuja, as prepaid school fees for four children until graduation, over alleged money laundering.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters last December showed that Governor Bello through his nephew, Mr Ali Bello had entered an agreement with the school to pay tuition for his four children up to graduation in advance to secure their future.
The agreement was signed and executed on August 23, 2021. Following the execution of the agreement, a total of $845.852.84 was paid into the school account in varied instalments.
However, the anti-corruption agency as part of its oversight function, subsequently invited the school authorities for a series of interviews connected with the funds through a letter dated September 7, 2023, after about one year.
Sources told SaharaReporters that during the interrogation of officials of the school, the EFCC noted that the advanced school fees were proceeds of crime. It said that the school was being used as an unwitting money laundering tool and demanded that it should refund the monies to the agency through a dedicated account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
"During the interviews, the EFCC further informed the school authorities that the commission was empowered to seize the total funds or any portion thereof.
“Following a review of the academic history of Governor Bello's children with the school, the EFCC accepted that fees paid in relation to ongoing school sessions at the time did not amount to proceeds of crime and exempted the sum of $84.942.00.
“Subsequently, the commission made a demand for transfer of the of $760.910.84, representing advance tuition payment to its nominated account with the Central Bank of Nigeria," documents obtained by SaharaReporters show.
Following the development, the school management wrote a letter dated October 27, 2022, to the EFCC, requesting an official written demand for the refund of the monies, but the anti-graft agency provided an account to which the monies should be paid.
The school first paid $1,000 and later paid the remaining $759,91084 to the account.
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