HEDA urges EFCC to probe NSPRI’s N683.8m spending

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute over alleged expenditure of N683.8m on projects outside its statutory mandate in a single day.

HEDA Resource Centre, in a statement on Sunday, signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the allegations raised concerns about the management of public funds and the purpose for which the research institute made the payments.

The call followed a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism titled, “NSPRI Spends Taxpayers’ N683.8m on Odd Projects in 1 Day.”

According to the report, the 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.

The report alleged that some of the projects were located in federal constituencies across Borno, Benue, Yobe, Kwara and Niger states, raising questions about their connection with the institute’s core responsibilities.

Among the transactions highlighted by FIJ were N104.5m paid to Shamal Construction Limited for solar mini-grids in Maiduguri Metropolitan Constituency, Borno State; N99.1m to Tripplehech Resources Limited for agricultural capacity-building training in the same constituency; and N78.2m to Scelta Construction Limited for solar mini-grids.

The report also alleged that N53.8m was paid to Shafana Enterprises as a 30 per cent mobilisation fee for a farmers’ market project in Benue State, while N52.2m went to Ajagba Nigeria Limited for a solar mini-grid project in Yobe State.

Reacting to the allegations, HEDA said the reported transactions required an independent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the payments, the procurement procedures followed and whether public funds were spent in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

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The organisation urged the EFCC to determine whether the transactions involved financial impropriety or abuse of public office and take appropriate legal action if wrongdoing was established.

NSPRI’s statutory responsibilities centre 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 questioned the apparent disconnect between these responsibilities and the projects listed in the investigative report, stressing the need for public institutions to account for their expenditure.

The organisation also called on relevant oversight authorities to examine the institute’s procurement and expenditure records to ensure that public resources allocated to government research institutions were used transparently and for their intended purposes.

Suraju stressed the importance of accountability and responsible management of public funds, urging the authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly and impartially.

HEDA further called for the outcome of any investigation to be made public, subject to applicable legal requirements, to strengthen public confidence in the management of government resources.