Open The Books
OpenLife News reports that former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung, has raised serious questions over alleged financial irregularities in the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, as contained in the Auditor-General’s report.
Dalung, writing on his facebook wall, said many Nigerians may not be aware of what is hidden in the report, which he claimed has flagged over ₦1.3 billion in questionable transactions that should not be buried under bureaucratic language.
Breakdown Of Alleged Irregularities
According to Dalung, who cited the Auditor-General’s report:₦209.09 million was reportedly spent on flights, accommodation and logistics for three diaspora events, for which auditors said there was no adequate evidence that the services were actually delivered.
₦356.38 million went into contracts involving seven companies whose prequalification documents had expired.
₦165.29 million was paid to five contractors whose Tax Clearance Certificates and BPP certificates were reportedly invalid.
₦91.90 million in contracts were awarded to four companies said to have recorded zero turnover, despite a ₦20 million minimum requirement.
₦340.83 million was spent through emergency procurement for the Global African Diaspora Symposium, even though auditors questioned the justification for the emergency tag and noted absence of required Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, approval.
₦137.52 million allegedly split into two logistics contracts.
₦48.91 million paid to officers who were not the named beneficiaries.
₦15.60 million paid to security personnel but charged under welfare and cleaning.
Millions more in tax under-deductions and overpayments.
Missing Vehicles, Unretired Advances
The report also flagged five government vehicles that could not be sighted during audit, cash advances of about ₦20.5 million above the permitted threshold, and the failure to submit the Commission’s 2023 audited accounts.
Dalung’s Demand: Open The Books
Dalung said the questions are specific and the responsibility is simple.“The questions are specific.
The amounts are specific. The transactions are specific. So the responsibility now is equally simple: produce the documents, explain every transaction, identify the beneficiaries, account for the assets and, where public money cannot be justified, recover it,” he said.
He noted that NiDCOM has reportedly said it will respond with its records when formally requested, adding: “Good. Let the records speak.”
He stressed that Nigerians in the diaspora who remit billions, invest and support families deserve a Commission held to a high standard of transparency.
“Nobody should be above scrutiny because of office, reputation or political connections. And if everything was properly done, the easiest way to silence the allegations is not through outrage or public relations. Open the books. Answer the questions. Let the evidence settle the matter. That is how public accountability is supposed to work,” Dalung concluded.
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