By Abubakar Yunusa
The Northern Coalition for Accountability and Public Trust has faulted allegations by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project against the Universal Service Provision Fund over an alleged missing N26.9bn, describing the claims as misleading and capable of creating unnecessary public panic.
The coalition said accountability issues should not be reduced to what it called “headline activism and media sensationalism,” insisting that available records did not support the figures being circulated against the agency.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Executive Director of the coalition, Abubakar Yusuf Yaro, said findings from the group’s independent investigation showed that the USPF received an average annual allocation of about N7.5bn during the period under review.
According to him, the figures raised questions about how an agency with such yearly funding could allegedly lose N26.9bn.
“Simple arithmetic raises a legitimate question: how does an institution with an average yearly funding of N7.5bn suddenly lose N26.9bn?” the statement read.
The coalition further claimed that over N13.8bn being referenced in the allegation involved operating surplus deductions allegedly handled directly by the Nigerian Communications Commission before transfers were made to the USPF.
It stated that records reviewed indicated that the USPF neither received nor retained the funds being referenced.
The group also defended the implementation process of telecom infrastructure projects, noting that rural broadband expansion, ICT centres and connectivity projects naturally span multiple budget cycles.
It explained that such projects could not be completed within a few weeks because they involved long-term execution and government-approved financing structures.
The coalition added that procurement processes linked to the projects passed through established approval channels, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and relevant tender boards.
It also claimed that payments followed certification procedures backed by reports, documentation and project evidence.
The group questioned why SERAP allegedly rushed to the media without exhausting available channels for clarification.
It further disclosed that previous audit reviews and investigations by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee reportedly found no irregularities in the operations of the USPF during the same period under scrutiny.
According to the coalition, audit observations should not automatically be interpreted as proof of corruption.
“Unfortunately, what Nigerians witnessed in this case appears closer to a public conviction campaign than a genuine search for accountability,” the statement added.
The coalition maintained that the USPF remained one of Nigeria’s major intervention platforms for rural connectivity and digital inclusion.
It said the agency had supported ICT access and telecommunications infrastructure projects in underserved communities across the country.
The group urged the National Assembly and relevant oversight institutions to independently review all documents relating to the matter and allow due process to prevail.
“Nigerians deserve truth, not manufactured alarm,” the coalition stated.
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