The Federal High Court in Lagos has mandated Sadiya Umar-Farouq, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, to provide a detailed account of the disbursement of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians over six months.
Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu delivered the judgment in June, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) suit (No. FHC/L/CS/853/2021) filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained by SERAP last Friday.
Justice Dipeolu ruled that Umar-Farouq must release the list and details of the beneficiaries, the number of states covered, and the payment distribution per state. The court also required the former minister to explain the selection process for the beneficiaries and the mechanisms used for the payments.
“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,” stated Justice Dipeolu.
He further ordered the minister to justify the rationale behind the N5,000 payments to each of the 24.3 million poor Nigerians, a sum that represents five per cent of Nigeria’s 2021 budget of N13.6 trillion. The judge dismissed the objections from the minister’s counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments, thus ruling in favor of the organization.
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, lauded the judgment as a significant step toward ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. “Justice Dipeolu’s judgment shows the urgent need for the Tinubu government to genuinely address the systemic allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and other ministries, departments, and agencies, as documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation,” Oluwadare remarked.
In a letter dated July 6, 2024, SERAP urged President Bola Tinubu to enforce the court’s ruling by directing the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to comply.
“We urge you to demonstrate your expressed commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the court,” the letter stated.
SERAP emphasized that implementing the judgment would be a triumph for the rule of law, transparency, and accountability in managing public resources, including the N729 billion in question.
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