SERAP in a statement issued Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare
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The demand was contained in a letter dated January 1, 2022 signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The organization said the allegations are documented in the 2018 and 2019 annual audited reports by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
The request followed the recent approval by the National Assembly of President Buhari’s request for a $5.8bn loan and grant of $10bn. According to SERAP, previous approvals in 2021 alone include $8.3bn; €490m, and $6.1bn. The foreign debt stock of the Federal Government, 36 states, and Federal Capital Territory reportedly stands at $37.9bn.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and awarded the sum of N100, 000 against the plaintiff.
The warning by SERAP was contained in a statement it issued on Wednesday at a public book presentation in Lagos.
The suit, with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1323/2021, was filed at the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1360/2021, was made known on Sunday.
The suit, with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1361/2021, was filed on Friday by SERAP at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suit followed the grim allegations contained in part 2 of the 2018 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation that N880,894,733,084.811 was spent by 367 MDAs without any appropriation.
The decision of the ICC followed a petition sent to the court by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
The suit was filed by SERAP on Friday following the move by the Federal Government to monitor calls and messages.
SERAP spoke on the issue in a letter dated October 9, 2021, signed by its Deputy Director. Kolawole Oluwadare.
The position of SERAP was contained in an open letter dated October 2, 2021 by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
President Buhari recently sought the approval of the National Assembly to borrow $4,054,476,863 billion and €710 million, on the grounds of “emerging needs.”
The NCC recently ordered telecom operators to suspend all telecommunications networks in Zamfara State, and at least 13 local government areas of Katsina State purportedly to check banditry/terrorism.
According to the report, “Budget fraud, procurement fraud, embezzlement of funds among other illegal actions, lead to failure in the delivery of services including education, water and health. People living in poor neighbourhoods have suffered so much that they consider poor service delivery as being good enough.”
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-percent of the country’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”
The suit followed the grim allegations by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation in his 2018 annual audited report that N105,662,350,077.46 of public funds are missing, misappropriated or unaccounted for across 149 MDAs.
SERAP said: “We also urge you to send to the National Assembly a fresh supplementary appropriation bill, which reflects the redirected budget, for its approval.”