An investigation by the Nigerian Senate’s Public Accounts Committee has found the country’s Public Servants are more corrupt than elected politicians.
Chair of the Committee, Matthew Urhoghide (pictured) said his Committee was currently scrutinising the report of the Auditor General of the Federation from 2015 to 2018, which had drawn on contributions from Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“The findings so far have revealed that the worst form of corruption, what I call institutional corruption, is taking place in the Civil Service,” Senator Urhoghide said.
He said Nigeria was operating in a climate “where accusations are quick to be made, where people are quick to condemn, particularly against the political class”.
“Everybody believes that any evil that happens in Nigeria is perpetrated by the politicians or the political class, but the findings by the Committee have revealed that the public wealth stolen from the system was not stolen by politicians,” Senator Urhoghide said.
“We have uncovered billions of naira stolen from the accounts of Ministries, Department and Agencies,” he said.
“It would be impossible for politicians to steal this amount of money — it comes from within.”
Senator Urhoghide said his Committee was not at war with Public Servants, but it had proved beyond doubt that the greatest misuse of public funds had been perpetrated by bureaucrats.
The Committee Chair expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari “who won his election on the mantra of anti-corruption”, would approve the Committee’s report when it was passed on to him by the National Assembly.
Abuja, 22 June 2021
