SERAP SUES BUHARI OVER MISSING ECO FUNDS

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sued President Muhammadu Buhari over failure of his administration to probe the spending of trillions of ecological funds at all government levels and parastatals from 2001 till date.

Joined in the suit as Respondents were the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently said that no fewer than 600 persons died and 1.3 million rendered homeless as a result of the floods that ravaged most states across the country, with destruction of properties worth billions.

In the suit filed on behalf of Serap by its lawyer Kolawole Oluwadare, he urged the court to direct and compel President Buhari to promptly and thoroughly investigate the spending of Ecological Fund by governments at the Federal, state and local government levels from 2001 to date.

SERAP, also asked the court to “direct the President to ensure that suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement of trillions of ecological funds are promptly brought to justice, and any missing public funds fully recovered.

It further stated that Nigerians have the right to know how the public funds budgeted to address ecological challenges are spent and publishing the details of allocations of the Fund since 2001 would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds. In the meantime, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.