The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sued Major General Muhammadu Buhari against the President for “failure to thoroughly, effectively and transparently investigate the expenditure of all the social safety net and poverty alleviation programs and projects implemented between 2015 and 2022”.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has been joined as a defendant in the suit.
According to SERAP, a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that 133 million Nigerians were poor despite the government spending N$500 billion annually on “social investment programmes”, saying that half of the country’s poor are children.
In its case number FHC/ABJ/CS/2357/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja last Friday, SERAP is asking the court to “direct and compel President Buhari to investigate and transparently investigate the expenditure of all social safety net poverty alleviation programs and programs implemented between 2015 and 2022 projects”.
SERAP is also asking the court to “direct and compel President Buhari to take care of the poor and ensure that the alleged perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement of public funds, as appropriate, and the recovery of stolen public funds.”
In the lawsuit, SERAP argues: “Nigerians have the right to be free from poverty. Allegations of corruption in social safety nets and poverty alleviation programs pose direct and indirect threats to human rights and contribute to extreme poverty in the country.’
SERAP also argues: “Investigating allegations of corruption in spending on social safety nets and poverty alleviation programs and projects and recovering stolen public funds would serve the public interest.”
Under SERAP, the Federal Government has a legal responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how public funds are spent, reducing vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.
SERAP also argues that “Government has legal obligations as a human rights issue to address and combat extreme poverty in an effective and progressive manner.”
The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Blessing Ogwuche, read in part: “Failure to address extreme poverty has resulted in high levels of inequality and gross violations of social, economic and social rights. and economically weak Nigerians.
“The NBS report suggests a serious breach of public trust, and the government’s lack of political will to meet the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations.
“Citizens feel the effects of corruption every day. Corruption causes them additional costs to pay for health, education and administrative services.’
“Corruption undermines the economic development of the country, trapping most Nigerians in poverty and depriving them of job opportunities.
“Extreme poverty is the greatest denial of the enjoyment of human rights, denying millions of Nigerians not only economic and social rights, but also civil and political rights such as the rights to life, human dignity and political participation.
“Failure to address extreme poverty has resulted in high levels of inequality and serious violations of the economic and social rights of Nigerians, especially the socially and economically vulnerable sectors of the population.
“The report that 133 million Nigerians are poor suggests corruption and mismanagement in the spending of trillions of naira on social safety nets and poverty alleviation programs, including the release of over $700 million for these programs from funds stolen by Abacha’s repatriation.
“The report also shows that the supposed social safety net and poverty alleviation programs are not working. It also shows the failure of the government to protect the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights of the Nigerian people.
“Government has a sacred duty to ensure transparency and accountability in the expenditure of the country’s resources, including spending public funds on social safety nets and poverty alleviation programs and projects.”
No trial date has been set for the case.
