SERAP TO BUHARI: Respect rule of law, enforce court judgments

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has once again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to respect the rule of law and constitutionalism of the country, by enforcing court judgments.

SERAP made the call on Friday in a statement signed by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, in which it listed some of the judgments it accused Buhari of not enforcing which included;

“The judgment by Justice M. Idris ordering his government to publish spending details of stolen funds recovered by governments since 1999.

“The judgment by Justice Oguntoyinbo ordering the federal government to recover pensions collected by former governors now serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly and directing the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami to challenge the legality of states’ pension laws permitting former governors, etc to collect such pensions.

“The judgment by Justice Mohammed Idris ordering the prosecution of senior lawmakers suspected of padding and stealing N481 billion from the 2016 budget; and the publication of the report of investigations into the alleged padding of the 2016 budget.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: SERAP wants Buhari to use confiscated stolen assets as isolation centres

“The judgment by Justice Obiozor ordering the immediate release of names of companies that have received public funds to execute electricity projects but have failed to carry out any projects and payment details to electricity contractors since 1999,” the statemnt added.

This came days after SERAP urged President Buhari to ban the purchase of new cars by the presidency, and all ministers for the remainder of the tenure of this current administration, that is, until May 2023.

The group in an open letter to the president called on him to take a cue from Namibia, and “use the savings from this ban to support students of tertiary institutions across the country to reduce the impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown on them and their parents, and to improve access to healthcare for all Nigerians”.

SERAP also urged Buhari to encourage the National Assembly and governors to ban the purchase of new cars and to use the savings to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.”

Namibia’s president, Hage Geingobon had last week reportedly imposed a five-year ban on buying of new cars for top politicians and government officials in order to redirect the funds to fight COVID-19 in his country.

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