Ex-Aviation Minister Stella Oduah accused by NGO of siphoning public funds through series fictitious empowerment projects

According to a report by a non-governmental organization, the Nigerian government’s proposed budget for 2022 is littered with frivolous items worth billions of naira inserted by Senator Stella Oduah of the Anambra North Senatorial District in the Senate.

Oduah is allegedly using her position as the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations to siphon taxpayers’ money, according to the NGO in a letter to TELEVISION NIGERIAN.

Abubakar Galadanchi, the organization’s Executive Chairman; Barrister Ossai Festus, the Project Director; and Oluwole Idris, the Protem Secretary, all signed the letter dated January 20, 2022.

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President Muhammadu Buhari presented the Joint Session of the National Assembly with a budget of N16.39 trillion for 2022 in October 2021.

But the NGO in the letter urged the President and the Minister of Finance not to fund and implement “these fictitious training and empowerment line items of a total of N4,123,965,973.”

The letter read, “We are a non-governmental, non-profitable and non-partisan organisation committed to eradicating corruption and also campaigning for good governance in Nigeria.

“Sir, we bring to your attention the continuous siphoning of Nigerians’ hard-earned and taxpayers’ money by Senator Stella Oduah using Nigerian budget as a tool through her office as Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations.

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“This she did seamlessly in 2020 and 2021 budgets by padding and inserting several fictitious training and empowerment line items in the 2020 and 2021 budgets. She inserted these fictitious training and empowerment line items to siphon billions of naira of taxpayers’ money through the instrumentality of padding the budgets. She has done it successfully unchecked and unencumbered in the 2020 and 2021 budgets and their implementation/execution without batting an eyelid.

“Sir, this 2022 budget that was recently passed into law by the National Assembly, Senator Stella Oduah (just as she did in 2020 and 2021 budgets) inserted and padded several fictitious training and empowerment line items running into billions of naira.

“These inserted/padded training line items in 2022 budget she intends to nominate companies she is interested in and use them as a conduit to siphon 90% of the budgeted amount with strong collusion with the agencies the training and empowerment line items are domiciled.

“Sir, our investigation revealed that Senator Stella Oduah has done this severally in the 2020 and 2021 budgets and successfully siphoned the money, hence she became more emboldened to insert/pad more of these fictitious training and line items in the recently passed 2022 budget with the ulterior motive to siphon over four billion naira of taxpayers’ money.

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“Sir, it is very disheartening that Federal Government would go to the international market/financial Institutions to borrow money in order to fund the budget so that critical infrastructures can be done by your administration, while Senator Stella Oduah will in turn siphon part of this money using fictitious training and empowerment line items in the budget.

“We hereby attach (as Annexure ‘A’) for your perusal the list of projects and fictitious training and empowerment line items totalling N4,123,965,973 (Four billion, one hundred and twenty-three million, nine hundred and sixty thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three naira) that Senator Stella Oduah inserted into 2022 budget as passed by the National Assembly.

“Also attached as Annexure ‘B’ is the list of capital projects and items totalling N1,512,896,667 that Senator Stella Oduah inserted into the 2022 budget. We request for you to intervene and assist to mobilise and corroborate with other civil society organisations and mount pressure on the Federal Government to halt funding and implementation of these several fictitious training and empowerment lines in 2022 budget total of four billion, one hundred and twenty-three million, nine hundred and sixty-five thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three naira (N4,123,965,973) as listed in the attached Annexure ‘A’.

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“This can be done by a continuous pressure President Buhari and Minister of Finance and Planning, not to fund and implement these fictitious training and empowerment line items of a total of N4,123,965,973 (as listed in Annexure ‘A’ ) that Senator Stella Oduah inserted in 2022 budget.

“May we inform You Sir that taking the urgent step to halt this sacrilege and continuous rip off of our collective wealth by Senator Stella will save our country billions of naira she intends to siphon with strong collusion with the agencies she domiciled the projects.”

The group listed 34 alleged “fictitious training and empowerment lines inserted into the 2022 budget to siphon taxpayers’ money”.

They include “ERGP12179945: Training and empowerment of women and youth on the utilisation of Red Clay soil for low-cost housing projects in Anambra East Ogbaru (50m), Ayamelum and Onitsha south (50m), Okpoko and Anambra West (50m), Oyi and Onitsha North (50m), Anambra North Senatorial District, Secretary to the Government of the Federation 200,000,000.

“ERGP202201174 Strategic empowerment of women and youths in Anambra North Senatorial District, Anambra New N200,000,000.”

Others listed include: “ERGP10180183: Skill Acquisition Training on New Methodology of Fish Management and Process in Anambra North. Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development N76,000,000.

“ERGP10180183: Skill Acquisition Training on New Methodology of Fish Management and Process in Anambra North Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development N76,366,034

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“ERGP10180085: Training of women and Youth on Aquacultural Management with Startup in Anambra North, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development N76,366,034.

“ERGP5180114: Skill Acquisition Training and provision of Fishing Tools and Artilleries For Local Farmers in Anambra North. Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development N95,000,000.”