The Northern Coalition for Accountability and Public Trust (NCAPT) faulted call by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on President Bola Tinubu to probe the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) over alleged missing N26.9 billion.
SERAP had based its allegation and call for the probe on a 2025 Auditor-General report, which it said included unaccounted expenditures, unapproved contract awards, and missing, non-existent project payments.
However, in a statement by its Executive Director, Amb. Abubakar Yusuf Yaro, NCAPT said the narrative being pushed to the public is selective, exaggerated and lacks critical context.
According to the group, public accountability is too important to be reduced to headline activism and media sensationalism.
“To start with, available records and findings clearly show that the widely circulated N26.9 billion allegation was completely misleading.
In the same vein, NCAPT critically observed that data available from the investigation shows the average annual allocation to the USPF within the period under review was about N7.5 billion. Simple arithmetic, therefore, raises a legitimate question: how does an institution with an average yearly funding of N7.5 billion suddenly “lose” N26.9 billion?,” it said.
NCAPT said even more revealing is the fact that over N13.8 billion of the amount being referenced relates to operating surplus deductions reportedly handled directly by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) before funds are transferred to the USPF, noting that, acccording to the records reviewed, the USPF does not receive or retain those funds in the first place.
The group explained: “As a good governance and accountability advocacy organisation, we noticed the same pattern applies to claims concerning multi-year projects and budget implementation cycles. Telecommunications infrastructure projects are not executed within weeks. Rural broadband expansion, base stations, ICT centres and connectivity infrastructure naturally run across several fiscal periods. This is standard public finance practice recognised and approved within government budgeting systems.
“At this juncture, we want to clarify that the records further indicate that the procurement processes referenced in the allegations passed through established approval channels, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and relevant tenders’ boards. Payments reportedly followed certification procedures supported by documentation, reports and project evidence.”
“Therefore, we must ask SERAP why these explanations were ignored before rushing to the media space.
“More concerning is the revelation that previous audit exercises and even reviews conducted by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee reportedly found no irregularities in the operations of the USPF during the same period under review. This raises serious concerns about the motive behind the latest attempt to create the impression of large-scale fraud without allowing constitutional oversight institutions to complete their work.
“SERAP, as an organisation that constantly advocates fairness, transparency and accountability, ought to understand that audit observations are not final proof of corruption. They are queries meant for clarification through established institutional processes.
“Unfortunately, what Nigerians witnessed in this case appears closer to a public conviction campaign than a genuine search for accountability.
“Responsible civic engagement demands balance, verification and fairness. Any organisation genuinely committed to public interest should first seek clarification from all parties before publishing conclusions capable of damaging institutional credibility and misleading citizens.
“To the best of our knowledge, USPF remains one of the most strategic intervention platforms for rural connectivity and digital inclusion in Nigeria. Across underserved communities, the Fund has supported ICT access, telecommunications infrastructure and connectivity projects that continue to bridge communication gaps between urban and rural populations.
“We, therefore, urge the National Assembly and relevant oversight bodies to independently review all documents, invite all concerned parties and allow due process to prevail without external pressure or media theatrics. Nigerians deserve truth, not manufactured alarm.”