The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to publish spending details of the N400 billion saved from the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The suit follows reports that the Federal Government saved N400 billion within four weeks of the policy’s implementation. SERAP seeks an order of mandamus to direct Tinubu to publish the saved N400bn and to provide details on the plans for spending the savings, including specific projects.
SERAP seeks an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to disclose mechanisms to prevent savings from petrol subsidy removal from being diverted into private pockets. They argue that Nigerians have the right to know how savings are spent and that disclosing spending details would reduce corruption risks in funds’ spending.
SERAP is arguing that the Tinubu government has a legal obligation to spend the savings from the removal of petrol subsidies for the benefit of the 137 million poor Nigerians. They argue that transparency in the spending of these savings would negatively impact citizens’ fundamental interests and the public interest.
They also claim that the savings may have been embezzled, misappropriated, or diverted into private pockets. The suit filed by SERAP’s lawyers aims to increase public trust and confidence in the government’s use of these savings. The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and anti-corruption and human rights obligations all require citizens to have access to information about their government’s activities.
In part, the suit filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Oluwadare, Aremo, and Adegoke, said that transparency would increase public trust and confidence in the use of savings for Nigerians.
