SERAP: World Bank hiding info on Abacha loot

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused the World Bank of providing “patently insufficient information” on the spending of Sani Abacha loot by the federal government of Nigeria.

The NGO said in a statement on Sunday that it had sent an appeal to the Access to Information (AI) Appeals Board against the World Bank’s failure to disclose full information on the funds recovered from the foreign accounts traced to the former head of state.

SERAP, which had petitioned the World Bank for information on the recovered funds, said the decision is a serious violation of the AI Policy, “as it amounts to improper or unreasonable restriction of access to information”.

In the appeal dated 5 February 2016 and signed by SERAP deputy executive director Olukayode Majekodunmi, the organisation said: “Following receipt of several documents from the World Bank totalling over 700 pages on the Abacha loot, SERAP commenced independent investigations and verification of some of the information supplied with appropriate agencies and institutions of government.

“SERAP is concerned that the World Bank failed and/or neglected to provide several portions of the information requested on the spending of recovered Abacha loot managed by the Bank.

“SERAP notes that one of the guiding principles of the Policy on Access to Information (AI Policy) is recognizing the right to an appeals process when a request for information in the World Bank’s possession is improperly or unreasonably denied.

“SERAP argues that there is a strong public interest case here to override the corporate administrative matters, deliberative information or financial information exceptions of the AI Policy if the information being requested falls under one of these exceptions.

“SERAP believes that it is not harmful for the Bank to disclose specific details of the information requested. SERAP also notes that the sole remedy available to those who prevail in the appeals process is to receive the information requested.”

The body requested the appeals board to exercise its prerogative and allow disclosure of the following specific information and any feedback from the World Bank Evaluation Team on these issues:

• Evidence and list of the 23 projects allegedly completed with recovered Abacha loot, and whether the 26 projects were actually completed; and what became of the 2 abandoned projects.
• Evidence and location of the 8 health centers built with recovered Abacha loot reviewed by the World Bank
• Evidence and location of the 18 power projects confirmed by the World Bank
• How the $50mn Abacha loot received before 2005 kept in the special account was spent
• Evidence and location of schools which benefited from the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program in the amount of NGN24.25bn
• Evidence and location of the 13 road projects completed with the recovered Abacha loot, including the names of the 3 of the largest road and bridge projects in each geo-political zone