 has taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu){kind=link}
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu.
The rights group accused the federal government of failing to prosecute contractors who allegedly received N167 billion for projects that were never carried out.
Filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, the lawsuit also names Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, as a respondent.
According to the 2021 Auditor-General’s report, published in November 2024, 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) collectively paid over N167 billion to contractors without any executed projects.
In December 2024, SERAP urged Tinubu to release the names of these contractors but received no response.
In a statement on Sunday, the rights group disclosed that its suit seeks a court order compelling Tinubu to instruct Minister of Finance Olawale Edun to publicly disclose the names of contractors and companies that received payments but failed to complete the assigned projects.
SERAP also wants details of the projects, including their locations, the amounts received by each contractor, and shareholder information.
SERAP argues that holding these contractors accountable is crucial to curbing financial mismanagement and safeguarding public funds.
The organization emphasizes that transparency in government spending will reduce corruption risks and enhance accountability in MDAs.
Referencing the United Nations Convention against Corruption, SERAP stressed that Nigeria, as a signatory, must uphold integrity in economic and financial activities while ensuring that penalties for corruption are effective and deterrent.
The Auditor-General’s 2021 report highlighted that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone disbursed N100 billion to companies for projects that were not executed.
Other MDAs involved include the Nigerian Correctional Service, the National Pension Commission, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and several educational institutions.
SERAP maintains that transparency is essential for democratic governance, allowing Nigerians to evaluate government performance and demand accountability.
The court has yet to schedule a hearing date for the case.