The Nigerian government spent N87 million on the production and publicity of a documentary on President Muhammadu Buhari’s achievements between June and July 2021.
A review of Open Treasury Portal data revealed that the amount was spent in producing a documentary titled “The Buhari Effect: Unheralded Achievement” and placing publicity materials on newspapers, online media and broadcast stations.
This spending flies in the face of current realities of high inflation and shrinking purchasing power of Nigerians.
Spendings on “The Buhari Effect”
A breakdown of the spending shows that in June, between the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Ministry of Information and Culture, a total of N21,012,006.5 million was spent on the publicity of the president’s six years’ achievement. Specifically the monies were paid to produce a documentary titled “The Buhari Effect: Unheralded Achievement” to showcase the president’s achievement in six years.
In July, both ministries jointly spent N68, 160 million to distribute and publicise the documentary.
Earlier in June, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammad announced the production of the documentary at a press conference. He said the documentary was to showcase the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in order to prove naysayers wrong. In his address, he said that the insecurity in the country cannot mar the president’s legacy.
For the 87 million naira it cost to produce and distribute; it is understandable that the documentary will be aired in three parts and will run for several unspecified number of months.
As is becoming the norm since the OTP was launched 23 months ago, the descriptions following the disbursement of these monies were vague and some beneficiaries had no location or address. Perhaps the enormity of the achievements required that multiple organisations be paid to do the same things, publicity and advertisement. Or it could be that it was an inconvenience to properly describe what the payments were meant for.
Reacting to the payments made to some of the beneficiaries, a Special Adviser to the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi told Dataphyte that the three payments made to the company were meant for the advert the ministry is currently running.
Adeyemi said what the payment was meant for was not indicated because the payment platform does not allow narration to be displayed.
“The payment was for the advert we are running on Star Times and there are three of them because we are currently running Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo channels and the three payments are for the three channels. So each payment you saw was for one channel.
Adeleye also noted that what the payment was meant for was not indicated because the payment platform used does not show the payment narration. “You didn’t see any narration there because narration doesn’t come up on that platform.”
Corroborating Adeyemi, another SA to the Minister of Information and Culture, Williams Adeleye also confirmed that the payments made were for an advert.
Adeleye also disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture is running a campaign on some electronic media platforms at the moment.
“Channels, AIT, TVC, NTA and three channels on Star times currently on Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo channels. These are the three channels on Star Times where this campaign is even still currently running till now.” he said.
Adeleye said each of the three channels was paid 9m each through Conceptual limited, a marketing company used by Startimes.
Mr. Adeleye’s comments on the display of description begs the question of government officials’ understanding of the OTP and its guidelines and the Financial Transparency policy.
It is clearly stated in several portions of the policy that payments on the platform are to have descriptions. Under the responsibilities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, it says in part “ Ensuring proper description for all payments on GIFMIS and REMITA in compliance with the transparency policy {Refer to FR 603 (i) and (ii)}”.
In another section it says “For those MDAs whose transactions are not concluded in either GIFMIS or REMITA, the respective MDAs are to send their reports to the OAGF using the approved formats in appendix 1 – 5 not later than 48hrs to the dateline set in the requirements.”
The appendix carries, very clearly, a column for description.
Spending, a Misplaced Priority
The Deputy Director, Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, Kolawole Oludare, speaking with dataphyte condemned the spending saying it is a misplacement of priority.
Oludare said ” This demonstrates a misplacement of priority by the government in it’s spending particularly when we sued the government, saying time and again that they need to get loans to run the affairs of the government to spend on capital expenditure.
He further described the FG’s spending on publicity as unfair to taxpayers and the people of Nigeria.
“This will be most unfair to the taxpayers and to the people of Nigeria to spend so much on publicity, on projects that ideally people should be able to see without publicity and this is not so much in the interest of good governance nor is it in the interest of the citizen.”
Country Director, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Odeh Friday, also described the spending as needless and a misplacement of priority.
Friday said the spending is as a result of irresponsible leaders governing Nigeria.
“For me, it’s about not having responsible leaders as the case may be who are supposed to be accountable to us in everything. Some of these things we don’t want to comment on because it doesn’t make any sense at all.”
The Country Director also lamented that mismanagement of public funds and trying to hold those in top government positions in Nigeria to account has always been a challenge.
“In Nigeria, from the government the top on the line is mismanagement of public funds and trying to hold them accountable is a challenge for you and I.m You can’t say because you’re president and carry our money and spend on what you have achieved.”
Friday stated there’s a huge difference in what obtains in other countries compared to Nigeria adding that Nigeria leaders are not responsible and accountable to the people.