Court orders Buhari to prosecute lawmakers over alleged stealing of N481bn from 2016 budget

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos in a landmark judgement has ordered President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently instruct security and anti-corruption agencies to forward to him reports of their investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly.”

The Court also ordered President Buhari to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution of indicted lawmakers.”

The judgment was delivered yesterday by Justice Mohammed Idris following a mandamus suit no: FHC/L/CS/1821/2017 brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The Court also ordered President Buhari to “direct the publication of the report of investigations by security and anti-corruption bodies into the alleged padding of the 2016 budget.”

In the suit brought against the President of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Justice Idris further held that President Buhari in the exercise of his executive powers has a duty to ensure compliance with the provisions of article 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, holding further that Buhari is “expected to use his executive powers for the public good of Nigeria.”

Article 22 of the African Charter provides that, “All peoples shall have the right to their economic, social and cultural development with due regard to their freedom,” and that “States shall have the duty, individually or collectively, to ensure the exercise of the right to development.”

The Court also granted an order directing Buhari to “Urgently halt alleged attempt by some principal officers of the National Assembly to steal N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by his government as ‘zonal intervention’ in the 2017 budget.”

Buhari is also ordered “to closely monitor and scrutinize the spending of N131 billion (accrued from increased oil bench mark) allocated for additional non-constituency projects expenditure, to remove the possibility of corruption.”

The Court held that “SERAP, being a human rights non-governmental organization has sufficient interest in the way and manner public funds are being utilized in this country.”

SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale said: “This judgment confirms the pervasive corruption in the budget process and the prevailing culture of impunity of our lawmakers as well as the failure of the authorities to uphold transparency and accountability in the entire budget process and implementation.

"The judgement is an important step towards reversing a culture of corruption in the budget process that has meant that many of our lawmakers see the budget more as a ‘meal ticket’ to look after themselves than a social contract to meet people’s needs and advance equity and development across the country.”

“This is a crucial precedent that vindicates the right to a transparent and accountable budget process and affirms the budget as government’s most important economic policy document, which is central to the realization of all human rights including the rights to health, water, and education. We are now in the process of obtaining a certified copy of the judgment. SERAP will do everything within its power to secure the full and effective enforcement of this important judgment.”

It would be recalled that SERAP last year filed the suit after the organization said it received “credible information from multiple sources that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have completed investigations into the allegations of padding of the 2016 budget, completed their reports, and indicted some principal officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and that the accounts of some of the principal officers containing allegedly illicit funds have been frozen, and that the case files for the prosecution of those indicted were ready.”

The suit filed on SERAP’s behalf by its counsel Mrs Joke Fekumo read in part: “Unless the principal officers indicted in the alleged padding of the 2016 budget are prosecuted and any stolen public funds recovered, the Federal Government will not be able to stop padding of future budgets. Alleged corruption in the budget process will not just melt away or simply evaporate without addressing the fundamental issue of impunity of perpetrators.”

“Addressing alleged corruption in the budget process by pursuing prosecution of indicted principal officers of the National Assembly will provide an important opportunity for the Federal Government to reignite the fight against corruption and fulfil a cardinal campaign promise, to show that the Federal Government works on behalf of the many, and not the few, as well as jumpstart economic activities and break the back of the recession.”

“Publishing the report of the investigation of the alleged padding of the 2016 budget, and prosecuting suspected perpetrators are absolutely important to avoid another padding, which the Federal Government can ill afford.”

“The allegations of crime of budget padding against the indicted principal officers of the National Assembly is a gross deprivation of the good people of Nigeria’s legitimate wealth and natural resources. We respectfully urge your Lordship to hold that the citizens of Nigeria have been deprived of their natural wealth and the indicted principal members be prosecuted by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.”

http://serap-nigeria.org/court-orders-buhari-to-prosecute-lawmakers-over-alleged-stealing-of-n481bn-from-2016-budget.ngo/

How can a thief prosecute another thief in a court of law?
They'd both get the same sentence.

He will disobey the court order because the persons that will be indicted are not opposition members.

cc lalasticlala....


https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/05/court-orders-buhari-to-prosecute-lawmakers-over-alleged-stealing-of-n481bn-from-2016-budget/



will Buhari respect court orders since most of the people it will affect are members of his party

If he goes after them now, you guys will still come back here and scream he is going after "vocal "apc members. Nonsense...

These people should just shut up if they have nothing to do. Who is bigger thief here, they are just diverting our attention from the real evil Buhari bedeviling our polity. Someone just hinted me now that nothing less than 500 people have been recruited into Federal ministry of communication without due process of notifying the public. Then someone here is telling us this evil party is fighting corruption. corruption indeed. I regret ever believing this evil party, this is the worst government in history of this country. what's our concerns about paddling of budget when masses are groaning everyday and they have nothing to do except blaming opposition. Nigeria is doomed.

NwaNimo1:
Corruption is rife under this government....

Who else notice that any moniker starts with Nwa dont make a reasonable comment?

Wen

So N481 billion was stolen from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly.

I hope it's recovered and invested into the diversification program.

I dare him to do it. buhari is not competent as a president but just on revenge mission

Samsimple:
3 years ago this day that goat from daura was sworn in as the president of nigeria.. Greatest mistake of nigeria history

The day you were conceived is the greatest mistake your family made. The day you were born is the greatest mistake your village made.

Hehehe...fighting corruption a.k.a 'Game of Thrones' literally! We dey look na, as dem wan shake table wey all of dem tanda on top!

Let’s see how the court order will be obeyed...lol

Dead on arrival!
Judgment will be appealed and repealed.

The executive will not want to go down that line, it'll expose so many things and people, and even the presidency.

It's just a ploy by the executive using the judiciary to weaken the legislative arm of government in the court of public opinion as it has been their usual tactics.

This judgment will never sail,Mark this post and quote me if anything meaningful comes out of this.

Saraki, Dogara and all those saying they want to decamp, they are coming for you.

2019 things

imagine the court order is to immediately prosecute them, in other word the court telling them to do it quickly, another new one

Trust lawmakers they will use delays tactics while getting sympathy from the people

NwaNimo1:
Corruption is rife under this government....

Can you tell us the administration under whose dispensation we all became aware of "Budget Padding"
If it is under PMB, then, the other adminstration who has seen nothing wrong in this act are the most corrupt. Under them, what we termed corrupt practices of "Budget Padding" was business as usual.

Saraki, Dogora and the gang of 108 thieves in the Senate and over 300 thieves in the HOR are in trouble. They have all served into Buhari's hand. You fools thought that Buhari and Kemi Adeosun will bribe you the way Goatluck Jonaddaft and that world bank house girl with puff-puff cheek bribed you with 17 billion naira. No way. Now, you will know who is the C-in-C. Dino Melaye's treatment will be a child's play.

I really pray that PMB upholds the court orders this time around. Impunity has to come to an end in this country!

Wow someone stole 481 billion ? That's enough to build a standard University , enough to build 10 good roads , enough to build 20 hospitals , enough to empower more than 20k people that's what someone stole and kept it for himself . Wow

.

Who would have thought the so called Mai Gaskiya would need to be COERCED and FORCED to fight corruption?

Mai Gaskiya indeed!

.

Let him start from Babachir

Nigerians should pass a law , whereby judgement on corruption should be passed within one year , after that no appealing , you get sent to jail , because this politicians keep trying todelay justice

To the zombies that always shout "No corruption in this government", I believe you are reading this.


I'm sure nothing will be done about this, executive don't obey court order since May 29, 2015...

Does it mean that Buhari can not truely fight corruption?

moscobabs:

Who else notice that any moniker starts with Nwa dont make a reasonable comment?

I do.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos in a landmark judgement has ordered President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently instruct security and anti-corruption agencies to forward to him reports of their investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly.”

So Jibrin was right after all? Buhari government is filled with morally corrupt people.Lets see how the APC government will prosecute its own set of members in the HOR:Dogara,Yusuf Lasun & others e.g.Leo Ogar etc

Izychi:
I really pray that PMB upholds the court orders this time around. Impunity has to come to an end in this country!

The president can never,never & never try it becuase Buhari is corruption personified.Check out all the executive corruption of his government;Lawal Babachir,Mikanti Baru,Maina scandal,Ayo Oke etc

Not yet time.

anibirelawal:
Not yet time.

What is he afraid of or waiting for This action will be good for national development but it' ll also implicate Buhari as well.

Click like if you know bubu can't do shi.t to them.



Click share if you know he will deal with them immediately.




The people have spoken.

I pray he carries out the order by the court