THE Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered a former minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, to account for payments of N729bn to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months.
The court also directed the former minister to furnish a list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered, and the payments allocated per state.
The judgment, delivered in June by a justice, Deinde Isaac Dipeolu, came as a result of a Freedom of Information (FOI) suit number FHC/L/CS/853/2021, filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
In his judgment, Dipeolu held that: “The former minister is compelled by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to give information to any person, including SERAP. I therefore grant an order of mandamus directing and compelling the minister to provide the spending details of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians in 2021.”
Dipeolu directed the minister to disclose details on how beneficiaries were selected and the payment mechanisms as requested by SERAP.
Additionally, the judge instructed the minister to justify the allocation of N5,000 to 24.3 million impoverished Nigerians, amounting to five percent of Nigeria’s 2021 budget of N13.6 trillion.
The ruling further stated that the minister failed to provide reasons for withholding the requested information, despite SERAP citing relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 that were allegedly breached.
SERAP had petitioned the court under sections 20 and 25(1) of the Act for a mandamus order compelling the minister to furnish the requested information.
Dipeolu dismissed the objections raised by the minister’s counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments.
Consequently, the court entered judgment in favour of SERAP against the minister.
In response to the verdict, Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director of SERAP, stated that the ruling represents a victory for transparency and accountability in public spending.
He remarked that the judgment underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
Oluwadare emphasised that Juudge decision highlights the critical need for the Tinubu administration to address pervasive allegations of corruption within the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, and other governmental bodies, as highlighted by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
He also commended Justice Dipeolu for her courage and wisdom, urging President Bola Tinubu to promptly comply with the court’s directives.
In a letter dated July 6, 2024, sent to President Bola Tinubu on the judgment, and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation asked him to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately comply with the ruling.
The organisation also asked the president to order the release of the spending details of the N729 billion as ordered by the court.
The ministry of Humanitarian Affairs under former President Muhammadu Buhari has been enmeshed in various allegations of corruption. Recall that the former minister was also recently detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption in the handling of N37.1 billion social intervention funds during her tenure.
In April, the commission said it recovered N32.7 billion and $445,000 from the ministry.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.