JUST IN: Tinubu dragged to court over alleged failure to probe N4 trillion missing subsidy payments

 


The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for “the failure to probe the allegations that $2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion public funds of oil revenues and budgeted as fuel subsidy payments are missing and unaccounted for between 2016 and 2019.”


The suit followed allegations documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2016 and 2019 annual reports that the public funds are missing.

This was made known by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP Deputy Director in a statement made public on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

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In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1107/23 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to promptly probe allegations that USD$2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion public funds are missing and unaccounted for between 2016 and 2019.”

SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to direct the anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe fuel subsidy payments made by governments since the return of democracy in 1999, name and shame and prosecute suspected perpetrators, and to recover any proceeds of crimes.”


SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to use any recovered proceeds of crime as palliatives to address the impact of the subsidy removal on poor Nigerians, and to put in place mechanisms for transparency and accountability in the oil sector.”

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “The allegations that US$2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion of public funds are missing and unaccounted amount to a fundamental breach of national anticorruption laws and the country’s international obligations including under the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”

SERAP is also arguing that, “The Tinubu government has constitutional and international legal obligations to get to the bottom of these allegations and ensure accountability for these serious crimes against the Nigerian people.”

According to SERAP, “Directing and compelling President Tinubu to promptly probe, name and shame and bring to justice the perpetrators and to recover any missing public funds would advance the right of Nigerians to restitution, compensation and guarantee of non-repetition.”

SERAP is further arguing that, “Allegations of corruption in fuel subsidy payments suggest that the poor have rarely benefited from the use and management of the payments.”

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The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Oluwadare, Ms Adelanke Aremo, Ms Valentina Adegoke, and Ayomide Johnson, reads in part: “There will be no economic growth or sustainability without accountability for the human rights crimes.

“Poor and socio-economically vulnerable Nigerians should not be made to continue to pay the price for the stealing of the country’s oil wealth while state and non-state actors pocket public funds.

“Investigating and prosecuting the allegations, and recovering any missing public funds would serve the public interest, ensure justice and accountability, and end the entrenched impunity of perpetrators”.

No date has been fixed for hearing on the suit.


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Tinubu begs Nigerians to bear with pain of subsidy removal, reveals when petrol prices will come down

- June 09, 2023
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  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked Nigerians to bear with the pain of subsidy removal, saying the fuel pump price will soon come down. According to Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information to the President, Tinubu, made the appeal at an interactive session with the royal fathers under the aegis of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), on Friday, June 9, 2023, in Abuja. The president urged the traditional rulers not to worry as the country is in safe hands. NEW:  Click “ HERE ” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on  your WhatsApp ! “We are all ears. We are ready to listen at any given time. I promise you an open-door policy; that is how I will go. That open-door policy is for you to call me and send me any concerns you might have at any time. “We may not have it right 100 per cent of the time, but we must get it right 90 per cent of the time for this country,” he said. Responding to issues raised by the traditional rulers on cha
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BREAKING: Tinubu meets Kwankwaso behind closed-door in Aso Rock

- June 09, 2023
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  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently meeting with former Kano state governor Rabiu Kwankwaso at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Kwankwaso was one of his co-contenders in the February 25 poll. He contested under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He is the first presidential candidate in the keenly-contested election to visit Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa. NEW:  Click “ HERE ” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on  your WhatsApp ! The meeting comes barely 24 hours after the former Rivers state governor led a group of aggrieved politicians within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as the G5 or the Integrity Group to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Aso Rock in Abuja. In attendance at the meeting aside, Wike are one serving governor and three former governors within the party. They are Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo) as well as former Govenors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). The current
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JUST IN: Polytechnic lecturers begin strike over unpaid 13 months’ salaries in Ondo

- June 09, 2023
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  The lecturers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State have commenced an industrial action to protest against non-payment of their 13 months’ salary. In a communiquΓ© issued at the end of the congress by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, RUGIPO chapter on Thursday, the lecturers vowed not to participate in the first semester examinations of the school, coming up next Tuesday, unless the government wade into the matter. The communiquΓ© was signed by the union’s chairman, Comrade Arikawe Ade, and the secretary, Comrade Fapetu Damilola. NEW:  Click “ HERE ” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on  your WhatsApp ! ! According to the communiquΓ©, the members’ union unanimously agreed to withdraw their services at the end of their congress, which means the industrial action began on Friday. “We want the payment in full of all outstanding (13 months) salary arrears owed to the staff of the institution. “The Congress wishes to strongly emphasise that the dec
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Former Imo Speaker’s security officer found dead weeks after being kidnapped

- June 09, 2023
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  The lifeless body of an orderly to a former speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chiji Collins, has been found in a bush. The victim’s lifeless boy identified simply as Charles, was found in the Oguta Local Government Area of the state a few days ago. Charles, who was said to be a dedicated police inspector, was abducted several weeks ago along with a driver in the Ohaji/Egbema area of the state. NEW:  Click “ HERE ” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on  your WhatsApp ! Reports have it that they were travelling in a Hilux and a Sports Utility Vehicle when they were ambushed by assailants and forcefully taken into a nearby forested area. After a few agonising days, Charles’ decomposed remains has been found in a bush. The colleagues of the victim have expressed their profound sorrow at the loss of the police inspector, who hailed from the Mbaise region of the state. One anonymous source shared, “Charles’ body was discovered in the Oguta area, badly de
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JUST IN: Tinubu meets Sultan, Ooni and other traditional rulers behind closed-door in Aso Rock

- June 09, 2023
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  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is meeting with traditional rulers at the State House Conference Centre in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Friday’s meeting is part of a series of engagements the President is having with key stakeholders across the executive, legislative, business, and traditional institutions since he assumed office on May 29. At the closed-door meeting, Tinubu is expected to discuss themes around national healing and unity; as he emphasised in his inaugural speech. NEW:  Click “ HERE ” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on  your WhatsApp ! Setting the stage for the proceedings, His Eminence, Sultan Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar, leading the delegation of traditional rulers, expressed their purpose in visiting the President. He conveyed their heartfelt congratulations and reiterated their unwavering support for President Tinubu in his momentous responsibility of governing the nation. Recognising the council of traditional rulers as a treasure trove o
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JUST IN: Nigerians to enjoy stable power supply as Tinubu signs Electricity Act 2023 into law

- June 09, 2023
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  Nigerians will be begin to enjoy stable power supply as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the Electricity Act 2023, which was initially passed by lawmakers in July 2022. The Electricity Act will replace the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA), 2005. The new Electricity Act will bring about the de-monopolisation of Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity at the National level and empower states, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity. NEW:  Click “ HERE ” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on  your WhatsApp ! It provides a framework to guide the post-privatisation phase of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), as well as encourage private sector investments in the sector. The Electricity Act was first passed in July 2022 under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. The primary aim of the Act is to create a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to guide N
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