Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, over alleged misappropriation of N18.9 billion allocated for broadband infrastructure projects.

HEDA, in a petition signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, alleged that the projects approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on March 29, 2023, were not executed despite the award of contracts and a four-month delivery deadline.

According to the petition, a FEC memorandum put the contract value at N18.976 billion, covering broadband infrastructure at selected airports and tertiary institutions nationwide.

About 10 contractors were assigned airport projects worth over N5.527 billion, while 19 contractors were awarded institutional projects valued at approximately N12.784 billion.

HEDA urged EFCC to establish whether the contractors were paid, trace funds released and determine why the projects have been completed. It also called for a forensic audit, physical verification and an investigation into the roles of Pantami, other officials, contractors and technical auditors.

The group also asked the commission to reconcile the N18.976 billion in the FEC memorandum with the approximately N24.2 billion publicly announced by Pantami in 2023. It said the broader figure reportedly included N5.25 billion for broadband projects in six markets, for which it had not obtained comparable details.

Noting that the contracts were approved shortly before the end of the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the organisation said the timing did not establish wrongdoing but warranted investigation alongside the alleged non-execution of the projects.

It added that the petition was a call for an independent investigation and not a presumption of guilt.