Flagrant breach of Nigeria’s financial laws sparks outrage as government funds are funneled into a staff member’s personal account for ceremonial expenses.
A fresh wave of controversy has hit the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) as revelations emerge that N20 million in public funds was illicitly funneled into a private bank account belonging to one David Ezeh, a staff member under the administration of Senator George Akume.
According to a detailed analysis of Nigeria’s public payment platform, Govspend, conducted by SaharaReporters, the questionable transaction was made to finance a send-forth ceremony for former SGF Boss Mustapha. The funds allegedly covered the venue, multimedia services, and various logistical expenses. However, what has shocked many is the mode of disbursement: a direct transfer to an individual’s personal bank account—an action that blatantly contravenes Nigeria’s fiscal laws.
Chapter Seven, Section 713 of the Financial Regulations (2009) is explicit: “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.” The law further underscores that “any officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.”
In an ironic twist, the same David Ezeh who received the N20 million payment once represented SGF Akume at a stakeholders’ dialogue in Lagos on implementing Section 45 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007—an engagement focused on accountability in public financial management.
Legal experts and civic groups have not taken the issue lightly. Prominent lawyer, Kehinde Awosusi, told SaharaReporters, “Under no circumstances should a civil servant receive government money into a personal account, either as income or expenditure. This is a clear affront to the law.” He likened the scandal to the high-profile case of Betta Edu, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, whose tenure ended in disgrace amid financial misconduct allegations.
Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on January 8, 2024, following reports that she authorized the transfer of N585 million into a private account belonging to a project accountant, Oniyelu Bridget. Though Edu defended the transaction as being in line with civil service procedures, the incident provoked public outrage, triggering an EFCC investigation and ultimately costing her a place in Tinubu’s restructured cabinet.
While the fallout from the Edu scandal still lingers, the latest revelation involving SGF Akume’s office raises fresh concerns about entrenched financial mismanagement and impunity in the corridors of power.
This is not an isolated incident. An earlier Govspend report exposed the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy for similar violations. The ministry reportedly paid a total of N23.8 million into the private account of one Akudo-Nwosu Ugochi Nwakaego between 2019 and 2024. The payments—categorized as expenses for the Abuja Carnival and World Culture Day celebrations—were made in direct violation of fiscal laws.
For instance, on December 3, 2019, Ugochi received two separate payments of N8 million and N5.7 million for Abuja Carnival activities, both routed into her private account. On November 25, 2024, she received another N10.042 million from the ministry for the celebration of World Culture Day—again paid into a personal bank account.
The growing list of such fiscal infractions underscores what critics describe as a systemic disregard for financial accountability within government ministries and departments. Despite the regulatory frameworks in place, public funds continue to be misappropriated through illegal and opaque disbursements, eroding public trust.
Calls are mounting for a full-scale investigation into the SGF office’s expenditure practices, with civic groups and anti-corruption advocates demanding accountability and sanctions for those found complicit.
As the nation grapples with economic hardship and citizens demand greater transparency, such flagrant abuses of public funds serve as a reminder that reforming Nigeria’s public financial management system remains a battle far from won.
PIONEER NEWS 