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, describing the claims as misleading and capable of creating unnecessary public distrust.
The coalition said the widely circulated allegation involving N26.9bn against the USPF did not reflect the actual financial records and operational realities of the agency.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Executive Director of the coalition, Abubakar Yusuf Yaro, said available documents and findings from the group’s investigation showed inconsistencies in the figures being promoted.
According to him, the USPF received an average annual allocation of about N7.5bn during the period under review, raising questions over how the agency 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?” he asked.
The coalition further claimed that over N13.8bn referenced in the allegations related to operating surplus deductions reportedly handled directly by the Nigerian Communications Commission before transfers were made to the USPF.
It stated that the fund neither received nor retained those monies as alleged in some reports.
The group also defended the execution timeline of telecom infrastructure projects, noting that rural broadband expansion, ICT centres and connectivity projects naturally span multiple fiscal years.
It explained that such projects followed standard government budgeting and procurement procedures.
“At this juncture, we want to clarify that 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,” the statement added.
The coalition accused SERAP of allegedly rushing to the media without allowing institutional processes and clarifications to take place.
It also maintained 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.
The group warned against what it described as “media theatrics” capable of damaging public confidence in institutions tasked with improving rural connectivity and digital inclusion.
According to the coalition, the USPF remains one of Nigeria’s critical intervention platforms supporting telecommunications infrastructure and ICT access in underserved communities.
The group urged the National Assembly and relevant oversight agencies to independently review all documents and allow due process to prevail.
“Nigerians deserve truth, not manufactured alarm,” the coalition stated.
