A Federal Excessive Court docket sitting in Lagos has ordered Sadiya Umar Farouq, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Catastrophe Administration and Social Improvement, to provide detailed rationalization for the cost of N729bn she accepted to 24.3 million Nigerians for the interval of six months.
Farouq was one of many ministers within the cupboard of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Within the judgement, which was delivered in June by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a freedom of knowledge swimsuit quantity: FHC/L/CS/853/2021, filed by the Socio-{Economic} Rights and Accountability Challenge (SERAP), the court docket compelled the previous Minister to supply SERAP with the record and particulars of the beneficiaries of the intervention, the variety of states lined and the cost every state had acquired.
Justice Dipeolu stated, “The previous minister is compelled by the provisions of the Freedom of Info Act to provide data to any particular person, together with SERAP. I due to this fact grant an order of mandamus directing and compelling the minister to supply the spending particulars of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians in 2021.”
He additional requested Farouq to supply SERAP with particulars of the factors used is deciding on the beneficiaries throughout the states and the mechanisms for the funds, additional ordering her to “clarify the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which interprets to 5 per cent of Nigeria’s funds of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”
Dismissing the objections raised by the counsel of the previous Minister and upholding SERAP’s argument, Dipeolu dominated that “the minister didn’t give any cause for the refusal to reveal the main points sought by SERAP. SERAP has reeled out the related sections of the Freedom of Info Act 2011 that the minister contravened and has, in step with sections 20 and 25(1) of the Act, prayed this Court docket for an order of mandamus to direct and compel the minister to supply the knowledge sought.”
Commenting on the end result of the judgement which went in opposition to the previous minister, Kolawole Oluwadare, the Deputy Director of SERAP, stated the ruling represents a major step forth for transparency and accountability within the spending of public funds, including that the judgement reveals pressing want for President Tinubu to deal with corruption allegations within the ministry.
He stated, “This ground-breaking judgment is a victory for transparency and accountability within the spending of public funds.
“Justice Dipeolu’s judgment reveals the pressing want for the Tinubu authorities to genuinely handle the systemic allegations of corruption within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Administration and Social Improvement and different ministries, departments and companies, as documented by the Auditor-Basic of the Federation.
“We commend Justice Dipeolu for her braveness and knowledge and urge President Bola Tinubu to right away obey the court docket orders.”
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