The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu at the Federal High Court in Lagos for his failure to order an investigation into the alleged theft of N57 billion from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.
SERAP’s legal action seeks to compel President Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the missing funds and prosecute those responsible if sufficient evidence is found. The organization is also requesting the recovery of any public funds that may have been misappropriated.
In the affidavit attached to the suit, SERAP argued that an investigation and prosecution would help end the impunity of those involved in the alleged theft and corruption within the ministry. The plaintiff emphasized that Nigerians, particularly those in low-income communities, continue to suffer as a result of widespread corruption within government ministries and agencies.
SERAP stated that corruption forces citizens to incur additional costs for essential services such as health and education. The organization also cited the allegations as a serious violation of public trust, in violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws, and international anti-corruption obligations.
The suit is based on findings documented in the 2021 audited report from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which revealed that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation had failed to account for over N54 billion allocated for stipends for N-Power volunteers and trainees in 2021. Additionally, the report highlighted the ministry’s failure to account for more than N2.6 billion allocated to the “homegrown school feeding programme during COVID-19,” with no trace of the funds that were allegedly paid to contractors for the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives. Furthermore, the ministry was accused of spending over N78 million on a survey regarding its COVID-19 response without approval or proper documentation and failing to account for N39.5 million in personal donations to various individuals.
SERAP’s legal team, led by lawyer Kolawole Oluwadare, argues that addressing the allegations and prosecuting the responsible individuals would contribute to reducing corruption in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), as well as improving the country’s financial stability by addressing issues like the budget deficit and rising national debt.
