By Henry Uche
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) alleging that the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) spent N683.8 million on projects outside its statutory mandate in a single day.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society organisation expressed concern over the allegations, particularly the reported scale and concentration of the expenditure on projects that appear unrelated to the institute’s core research responsibilities.
The report, titled “NSPRI Spends Taxpayers’ N683.8m on Odd Projects in 1 Day,” alleged that the research institute, based in Ilorin, Kwara State, made 14 separate payments to 14 companies on May 10 for projects including health-centre renovation, polytechnic workshops, streetlights, boreholes, tricycles, empowerment programmes and solar mini-grids.
According to FIJ, some of the payments included N104.5 million to Shamal Construction Limited for solar mini-grids in Maiduguri Metropolitan Constituency, Borno State; N99.1 million to Tripplehech Resources Limited for agricultural capacity-building training in the same constituency; and N78.2 million to Scelta Construction Limited for solar mini-grids.
The report further alleged that the institute made payments for projects in several federal constituencies across Borno, Benue, Yobe, Kwara and Niger states. These included N53.8 million to Shafana Enterprises as a 30 per cent mobilisation fee for a farmers’ market project in Benue State and N52.2 million to Ajagba Nigeria Limited for a solar mini-grid project in Yobe State.
According to Suraju, the allegations warrant an independent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the payments, the procurement processes involved and whether public funds were used in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute’s (NSPRI) statutory mandate focuses on research into the post-harvest handling of agricultural commodities, the development of relevant equipment and the dissemination of research findings to farmers, industrialists, produce handlers and inspectors.
HEDA therefore urged the EFCC to investigate the reported transactions, determine whether any financial impropriety or abuse of public office occurred and take appropriate legal action if wrongdoing is established.
The organisation also called on the relevant oversight authorities to examine the institute’s procurement and expenditure records and ensure that public resources allocated to government research institutions are used transparently and for their intended purposes.
Suraju reaffirmed the importance of accountability, transparency and responsible management of public funds and resources, stressing that allegations involving public expenditure must be investigated thoroughly and impartially in the public interest.
The group urged the relevant authorities to ensure that the outcome of any investigation is made public, subject to applicable legal requirements, to strengthen public confidence in the management of government resources.