By Ayo Kehinde
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, “to urgently refer allegations that ₦6.3 billion in constituency project funds may have been diverted, misapplied, or remain unaccounted for to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and possible prosecution.”
The call follows damning findings contained in the 2022 Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which allegedly uncovered widespread financial irregularities involving constituency and intervention projects executed through several federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
In a letter dated June 27, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that anyone found culpable is prosecuted where sufficient admissible evidence exists, while all misappropriated public funds are recovered and paid into the treasury.
The organisation also demanded the immediate disclosure of the identities of contractors, companies, shareholders and beneficial owners that received constituency project funds but allegedly failed to execute the projects.
According to SERAP, the Auditor-General’s report paints a disturbing picture of alleged abuse of public funds, including payments into private bank accounts, contracts awarded without due process, payments for projects never executed, undocumented expenditures, inflated contract values and other procurement violations across several MDAs.
Among the agencies named are the Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON), the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
SERAP highlighted findings that EHORECON allegedly paid more than ₦22.9 million from constituency project funds into private accounts belonging to staff members without evidence showing how the money was utilised. The report also questioned several contracts in hundreds of millions naira awarded for modern abattoirs, capacity-building programmes and constituency projects, many of which were allegedly unsupported by proper documentation or were never executed.
The Auditor-General similarly queried the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, over payments amounting to hundreds of millions of naira for youth empowerment, vocational training, fertiliser distribution and other intervention projects allegedly awarded without due procurement procedures or supporting documents.
At the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, the report alleged that more than ₦1 billion was tied to questionable payments, including mobilisation fees paid without documentation, contracts awarded to allegedly unqualified contractors, inflated solar power projects and payments for projects that were either abandoned, partially executed or never carried out.
The report also accused NAPTIP of procurement irregularities involving sensitisation programmes, logistics contracts and solar lighting projects valued at over ₦290 million, alleging that several contractors were fully paid despite failing to execute the approved projects.
For NILDS, the Auditor-General reportedly faulted the institute for failing to submit audited financial statements covering a ten-year period from 2012 to 2022, while also alleging failures to remit statutory stamp duties and spending without proper authorisation.
Describing the allegations as a serious breach of public trust, SERAP said corruption in constituency projects continues to undermine economic development, weaken public institutions and deprive millions of Nigerians of access to essential public services.
“The National Assembly has a responsibility to curb allegations of corruption in constituency funds,” the organisation said, adding that the legislature can only effectively discharge its oversight role by demonstrating transparency and accountability in the management of projects approved by lawmakers.
SERAP argued that the allegations, if left unaddressed, would continue to erode public confidence in governance and violate provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Public Procurement Act, all of which require transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources.
The organisation gave Senate President Akpabio and Speaker Abbas seven days to initiate action on its demands, warning that it would institute legal proceedings in the public interest should the National Assembly fail to act.
