SERAP SEEKS DETAILS OF N729bn PAYMENT TO POOR NIGERIANS BY FG

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court in Lagos “to compel the Federal Government to disclose details of proposed payments of N729bn to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, including the mechanisms and logistics for the payments, list of beneficiaries, and how they have been selected, and whether the payments will be made in cash or through Bank Verification Numbers or other means.”

SERAP is also seeking “an order directing and compelling the Federal Government to explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months, which translates to five per cent of the country’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”

This comes after SERAP’s Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Ms Sadia Umar-Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, which states that “disclosing the details of beneficiaries and selection criteria, as well as the payment plan would promote transparency and accountability, and remove the risks of mismanagement and diversion of public funds.”

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/853/2021 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is also seeking [b]“an order directing and compelling the Federal Government to clarify whether the proposed payment to poor Nigerians is part of the N5.6 trillion budget deficit.”

In the suit filed against Ms Sadia Umar-Farouk, SERAP is arguing that “Providing support and assistance to poor Nigerians is a human rights obligation but the programme to spend five per cent of the 2021 budget, which is mostly based on deficit and borrowing, requires anti-corruption safeguards to ensure the payments go directly to the intended beneficiaries, and that public funds are not mismanaged or diverted.”

According to SERAP, “The Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], UN Convention against Corruption, and African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party require the government to set the highest standards of transparency, accountability and probity in programmes that it oversees.”

SERAP is also arguing that “the government has a responsibility to ensure that these requirements and other anti-corruption controls are fully implemented and monitored and that the payments are justified in light of the huge budget deficit and borrowing, and whether there are better ways to spend N729bn to support poor Nigerians.”

According to SERAP, “The Federal Government has repeatedly failed to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of public wealth and resources.”

The suit filed last week on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi, read in part, “Transparency and accountability in the programme would improve public trust, and allow Nigerians to track and monitor its implementation, and to assess if the programme is justified, as well as to hold authorities to account in cases of diversion, mismanagement and corruption.”

“Obedience to the rule of law by all citizens but more particularly those who publicly took oath of office to protect and preserve the constitution is a desideratum to good governance and respect for the rule of law. In a democratic society, this is meant to be a norm; it is an apostasy for government to ignore the provisions of the law and the necessary rules to regulate matters”

“The right to truth allows Nigerians to gain access to information essential to the fight against corruption. This is in line with the Government’s anti-corruption strategy of citizen involvement in the fight against corruption. As a positive development strategy, access to information will foster development of democratic institutions in Nigeria.”

“Democracy cannot flourish in the absence of citizen’s access to information. Public officers are mere custodians of public records. The citizenry is entitled to know how the commonwealth is being utilized, managed and administered. This right to know will no doubt help in promoting a transparent democracy, good governance and public accountability.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

https://punchng.com/serap-seeks-details-of-n729bn-payment-to-poor-nigerians-by-fg/[/i]

Expecting a swift 'damage control' response from the FG.

...
Voice mail

But jokes apart tho

We blacks have really suffered.
First it was the white man exploiting us
Now it's people who look exactly like us and they seem to be way worse than the white man.

Who we offend biko

This man will never rest until he transfers all Nigerian common wealth to his fulani terrorists brothers using various means.

Foolish people...

very yeye people them

smh

Let them audit survival funds...Nyif...BOI...

Scam

Hope Our own grill master has gotten his own share

Why is this useless SERAP acting like a rebellions or an opposition party? Don't you have respect and decorum in your manner of approach? I will be happy if Buhari speak to them in the language they understand

One of the greatest scams of this scam administration

Lolz… voice mail…

Yahoo Agba...

Lol... Its like this serap no dey tire?
Since they have been urging, seeking, dragging, probing this Buhari led administration, how many have they won?
Serap and Buhari and everyone in this maladministration are crazy

Impossible!

Ademola47:
Expecting a swift 'damage control' response from the FG.

do any body remember that 2015 this man was selling himself as mr integrity!

It's called transparency.

Lols

For SERAP to hold this government or subsequent government accountable, they have to learn the Nigerian politics and teach these old people that a watchdog has more leverage when Individual political officers are dragged in public with facts.

Instituting back and forth legal proceedings to seek accountability is a waste of effort in Nigeria, because they will be ignored as usual. but having leverage, evidence of corruption as well as the political will to really act as an accountable organization, only then will Nigerian politicians be weary of what SERAP has in store, when they come asking.

Money we no see

The worst Nigerian Government in history. Money has already been looted and shared to their Fulani herdsmen and Boko boys with code name Bandits.
It’s time people should wake up and stop praying an already dead Nigeria.

SERAP is trying....

Chinndumm:
We really need the details

Reinaldo:
It's called transparency.

Muhylonaire007:
Lol... Its like this serap no dey tire?
Since they have been urging, seeking, dragging, probing this Buhari led administration, how many have they won?
Serap and Buhari and everyone in this maladministration are crazy

Lolz

Drsnives:
Scam

Hope Our own grill master has gotten his own share

Sometimes I wonder how someone with eyes and brains will keep supporting this buhari led terrorists infested maladministration? So appalling.


@SENIORWRITER

Stories....they only seek....nothing more....