Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, A civil society group, has filed legal action against Minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, over her refusal to provide information about the allegedly missing N30 trillion from the federation account.
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had alleged that the money was “missing or stolen or unaccounted for, or simply mismanaged” under Okonjo-Iweala’s watch.
On February 2, SERAP issued a 14-day ultimatum to the minister to tell Nigerians the whereabouts of the money or risk legal action.
Despite government’s dismissal of Soludo’s allegation on different occasions, an apparently-dissatisfied SERAP filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi on Tuesday.
Olukayode Majekodunmi, a senior attorney of the group IN The originating summons with suit number FHC/L/CS/196/2015, SERAP argued that “a necessary implication of the rule of law is that a public functionary and institution can only act in accordance with law, as to do otherwise may enthrone arbitrariness”.
“Obedience to the rule of law by all citizens but more particularly those who publicly took oath of office to protect and preserve the constitution is a desideratum to good governance,” it said.
“In a democratic society, this is meant to be a norm; it is an apostasy for public official like the minister of finance to ignore the provisions of the law.
“A trustee of public funds has a legal duty to render account on the missing N30tn to the beneficiaries (Nigerians) of the trust, if and when called upon to do so.”
SERAP also argued that Okonjo-Iweala “has so far failed, refused and/or neglected to provide the plaintiff with the details of the information requested”.
“Unless the reliefs sought herein are granted, the defendant will continue to be in breach of the Freedom of Information Act, and other statutory responsibilities. It is in the interest of justice to grant this application as the Defendant have nothing to lose if the application is granted,” it added.
“As a key agency of government, the ministry of finance has a sacred duty to ensure that the country’s resources and wealth is used solely to fulfil the basic economic and social rights of all Nigerians and achieve the country’s overall socioeconomic development.
“This implies providing strong leadership in the efforts to curb public sector corruption, and to refer to appropriate anti-corruption agencies any allegations of corruption in which any agencies of government may be involved or officials of your Ministry may be complicit.”
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