The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over “the failure to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to work with appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations that over N57 billion of public funds were missing, diverted, or stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021 alone.”
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, on Sunday and sent to Nairametrics.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has been joined as a respondent in the suit, with the advocacy group alleging that serious concerns against the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry were documented in the 2021 audited report released last month by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
SERAP’s Allegations
In the suit before the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr. Fagbemi to work with appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate allegations that over N57 billion of public funds were missing, diverted, or stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.”
SERAP is also asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr. Fagbemi to work with appropriate anti-corruption agencies to prosecute anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing N57 billion, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any missing public funds.”
SERAP argues that investigating the allegations, prosecuting those suspected of being responsible for the missing N57 billion, and recovering the missing funds would help end the impunity of perpetrators.
“The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.”
“Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as in other ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs),” SERAP added.
Oluwadare and Ms. Oluwakemi Agunbiade further emphasized that granting their reliefs would go a long way in addressing corruption in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), as well as the country’s budget deficit and debt problems.
“According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation failed to account for over N54 billion (N54,630,000,000.00) meant to pay monthly stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees between August and December 2021,” the suit partly reads.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
What You Should Know:
- SERAP is one of Nigeria’s leading public interest advocacy groups.
- The organization also relies on litigation to seek the court’s intervention in cases of alleged infractions by government officials and public institutions.
- When the matter commences, the AGF will be expected to file a formal response, paving the way for the case to be heard and determined by the court.
