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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over his refusal to publish details of how about ₦400 billion saved as a result of fuel subsidy removal was spent.
The lawsuit comes over a month after SERAP, in a letter dated July 1, 2023, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, asked Tinubu to “provide details of the plans on how subsequent savings from the removal of petroleum subsidy would be used.
After declaring an end to the subsidy regime during his May 29 inauguration speech, the President said the decision would save the federal government about ₦400bn monthly.
In his national broadcast on Monday, July 31, 2023, Tinubu told Nigerians that the government had saved over ₦1trn since it stopped paying subsidies.
However, SERAP has litigated the President for failing to provide details of how savings from the subsidy removal in the first four weeks have been utilised.
In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1514/2023 filed last week at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP the group sought: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to publish details of spending of about N400 billion saved as a result of the removal of subsidy on petrol on 29 May, 2023.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to provide details of the plans on how the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol, including specific projects on which the funds would be spent.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to provide details of the mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are not diverted into private pockets.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “Nigerians have the right to know how the savings are spent. Disclosing the spending details of the savings would reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds.”
SERAP is arguing that “The Tinubu government has a legal obligation to ensure that the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are spent solely for the benefit of the 137 million poor Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal.”
SERAP also argues that “Opacity in the spending of the savings from subsidy removal would have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.”
According to SERAP, “the savings from subsidy removal may be embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Oluwadare, Ms Adelanke Aremo, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, read in part: “Transparency would increase public trust and confidence that these savings would be used to benefit Nigerians.”
“The Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.”