President Muhammadu Buhari has been sued “over his failure to probe allegations that over ?880bn of public funds are missing from 367 ministries, departments and agencies, (MDAs)”.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP), filed the lawsuit hoping the court will order Buhari to ensure the prosecution of those suspected to be responsible.
The organisation expressed its hope that the suit will ginger Buhari to recover the missing or diverted public funds.
The suit followed the grim allegations contained in part 2 of the 2018 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation that ?880,894,733,084.811 was spent by 367 MDAs without any appropriation.
In the suit, filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is seeking, among others, “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to promptly investigate the alleged missing N881bn of public funds, and to ensure the prosecution of those suspected to be responsible, and the full recovery of any missing, mismanaged or diverted public funds”.
According to SERAP, “It is in the interest of justice to grant this application, as it would improve respect for the rights of Nigerians, and improve their access to essential public goods and services, which ought to be provided by the indicted MDAs”.
Joined in the suit as Respondents are the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
