Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike, and governors of the 36 States have been sued over their failure to account for the alleged missing N40 trillion federal allocations meant for local governments in the states and the FCT.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed the lawsuit in Abuja on Friday.
The suit followed the damning revelations by former president Muhammadu Buhari, who in December 2022 stated that If the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100m, N50m will be sent to the chairman but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it.
In the suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo
at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to direct and compel the governors to publish details of LGA allocations and actual disbursement of the allocations to local governments in their respective states from 1999 to date.
SERAP is also asking the court to compel and direct Wike to publish details of federal allocations meant for the Area Councils in the FCT and the actual disbursement of the allocations to the Area Councils in the FCT from 1999 to date.
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights impose transparency obligations on the governors and Mr Wike to publish the details of LGA allocations and actual disbursement in their states and the FCT.
It argues that State governors and Mr Wike cannot hide under the excuse that the Freedom of Information Act is not applicable to their states and the FCT. The legal obligations to publish the information sought are also imposed by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
According to SERAP, It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized human right to information.
Transparency in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments is fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions, and strengthen the rule of law.
States and the FCT should be guided by transparency and accountability principles and proactively publish information pertaining to their actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments.
