Advocacy organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a lawsuit against Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu over “the failure to probe the grim allegations that over US$15 billion oil revenues, and N200 billion budgeted to repair the refineries in Nigeria are missing and unaccounted for between 2020 and 2021.”
The allegations according to SERAP are contained in the 2021 report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
SERAP in the suit number FHC/L/CS/2334/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to probe the allegations that US$15bn of oil revenue, and N200bn budgeted to repair and maintain the refineries in Nigeria are missing and unaccounted for.”
SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to direct appropriate anti-corruption agencies to probe allegations of corruption involving the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPDC) and State Owned Enterprises (SOE).”
The organization also seeks: “an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to use any recovered proceeds of corruption to enhance the well-being of Nigerians.”
In the suit, SERAP argues that: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. Granting the reliefs sought would end the impunity of perpetrators and ensure justice for victims of corruption.”
It also argues that “The allegations of corruption documented by NEITI undermine economic development of the country, trap the majority of Nigerians in poverty and deprive them of opportunities.”
It said, “Unless the President is directed and compelled to get to the bottom of these damning revelations, suspected perpetrators would continue to enjoy impunity for their crimes and enjoy the fruits of their crimes.
“Many years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of oil revenues and impunity of perpetrators have undermined public trust and confidence in governments at all levels.
“The findings by NEITI suggest a grave violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anticorruption laws, and the country’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.”
SERAP lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Andrew Nwankwo, and Ms Valentina Adegoke filed the suit on behalf of the organisation.
No date has been fixed yet for the hearing of the suit.
