HURIWA Demands Inquiry into Alleged ₦8.8 Trillion Expenditure

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), represented by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, has called for accountability regarding an alleged ₦8.8 trillion spent outside Nigeria's approved budget framework. This expenditure, reportedly highlighted in a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) article, is said to represent two percent of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and raises serious concerns about fiscal transparency and accountability in the country.

Onwubiko described the situation as a major threat to Nigeria's fiscal integrity and insisted on the necessity of an independent forensic investigation to determine if public funds were misused, violating the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Public Procurement Act. He criticized the response from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, as inadequate.

HURIWA urged President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent judicial commission of inquiry, including forensic auditors and civil society representatives, to investigate the allegations thoroughly. The organization also called on the National Assembly to exercise its oversight powers to conduct a comprehensive public hearing on the matter.