SERAP sues Buhari over N1.48trn expenditure on failed refineries

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged diversion of N1.48 trillion meant for the rehabilitation of the country’s refineries.

The suit wasfiled on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo, last week, at the Federal High Court in Lagos State.

The group noted that the Federal Government allegedly spent N10.23 billion in June 2020 on three refineries that processed zero crude.

Also in 2021, the government approved $1.5 billion (about N600 billion) to repair the Port Harcourt refinery. Despite the huge spending, the refineries are still not working while fuel scarcity persists.

In the suit, SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to investigate the spending on Nigeria’s refineries, and alleged mismanagement of public funds budgeted for maintaining the refineries since 1999.”

SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to compel President Buhari to ensure the prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for the importation and distribution of dirty fuel into Nigeria, and to identify and ensure access to justice and effective remedies to affected victims.

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“It is in the public interest to ensure justice and accountability for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector, which has resulted in the importation and distribution of dirty fuel and protracted fuel scarcity in the country.

“Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and international standards impose clear obligations on the Buhari administration to take effective accountability measures to weed out, expose, and punish allegations of corruption in the oil sector, and to ensure effective remedies for victims.”

According to the organisation, the impunity and corruption in the oil sector “has contributed to the importation and distribution of bad fuel, violating the human rights of many users, including to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.”

SERAP is further arguing that, “The Buhari administration has legal obligations under Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power, and article 26 of the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure effective prosecution of allegations of corruption.”

Consequently, the body is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to instruct appropriate anti-corruption agencies to jointly track and monitor the spending of public funds to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain Nigeria’s refineries.”

Joined in the suit as Respondent is Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

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