Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP), has sued the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC Limited, over the “failure to account for and explain the whereabouts of the alleged missing USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion oil revenues”.
This is amid the allegations documented in the recently published 2020 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation that the NNPC failed to remit the money into the Federation Account, saying that it may have been diverted.
In the suit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, on behalf of the group by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, SERAP is demanding: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel the NNPC to account for and explain the whereabouts of the missing USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion oil revenues, as documented in a report by the Auditor-General”.
It is asking for: “an order of mandamus to compel the NNPC to hand over suspected perpetrators to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and prosecution”.
The group is also seeking: “an Order of Mandamus to compel the NNPC to ensure the full recovery and remittance of the missing USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion into the Federation Account”.
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that “There is a legitimate public interest in providing the details sought. The NNPC has a legal responsibility to account for and explain the whereabouts of the disappeared money.
“The missing oil revenues have further damaged the already precarious economy in the country and contributed to high levels of deficit spending by the government”.
SERAP is also arguing that “Without the full recovery and remittance of the missing USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion oil revenues, the dire economic situation may worsen and Nigerians will continue to be denied access to basic public goods and services.”
According to it, “the Auditor-General has for many years documented reports of disappearance of public funds from the NNPC. Nigerians continue to bear the brunt of these missing oil revenues”.
The suit read in part: “The alleged missing oil revenues reflect a failure of NNPCL accountability more generally and are directly linked to the institution’s continuing failure to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability.
“The failure by the NNPC to account for and explain the whereabouts of the disappeared money is a grave violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act, national anti-corruption laws, and the country’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption”.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
