The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari faces a lawsuit by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project over the failure to disclose information and documents relating to the names of people from whom N800bn looted public funds have been recovered, specific dates of the recovery, and details of projects on which the money had been spent.
A statement signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, noted that the President had, in paragraph 78 of his speech to mark Democracy Day on June 12, 2020, stated that: “the government has recovered looted funds in excess of N800 billion. These monies are being ploughed into development and infrastructure projects.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to instruct appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly, thoroughly and transparently investigate alleged payment of N51bn of public funds into individual private accounts in 2019.”
The SERP adds: “There is no legally justifiable reason why the information should not be made widely available to Nigerians, especially as the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) requires the government in section 15(5) to abolish all forms of corruption. That means ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public resources and wealth,”
SERAP is also arguing that: “Granting the reliefs sought will ensure transparency and accountability, as the information sought to be published will reveal the truth of where money is going and why it is there, and allow Nigerians an opportunity to assess the impacts of any projects carried out with the recovered loot and the alleged payments into individual private accounts.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.