The Federal High Court in Lagos has directed Sadia Umar-Farouk, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management, and Social Development, to explain how N729 billion was spent on 24.3 million poor Nigerians over six months.
According to Channels TV, Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu delivered the judgment last month following a Freedom of Information suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stated that they obtained the certified true copy of the judgment last Friday.
In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu emphasized that the former minister is legally obligated to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act. The judge ordered her to disclose the details of the N729 billion expenditure, including how the beneficiaries were selected and the payment methods used. Additionally, she must explain why N5,000 was paid to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which amounts to 5% of Nigeria’s N13.6 trillion budget for 2021.
Justice Dipeolu pointed out that the minister did not provide any reason for refusing to disclose the requested information. SERAP highlighted the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act that the minister violated and sought a court order to compel her to provide the details. The court dismissed the minister’s objections and ruled in favor of SERAP.
The judgment, dated June 27, 2024, clarified that failure to perform a statutory duty in the prescribed manner is considered non-compliance. The minister had argued that SERAP’s request was denied due to a missed deadline, but the court found that SERAP had filed their suit in compliance with the required timelines.
Kolawole Oluwadare of SERAP hailed the judgment as a victory for transparency and accountability in public spending. He urged President Bola Tinubu to comply with the court’s orders and address corruption allegations in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and other government agencies.
Femi Falana, SAN, commended SERAP for their efforts and called on the Tinubu government to use this judgment to tackle corruption comprehensively and recover misappropriated funds.
In a letter dated July 6, 2024, SERAP urged President Tinubu to demonstrate his commitment to the rule of law by directing the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Attorney General to release the spending details as ordered by the court. They stressed that immediate compliance would signify a departure from the Buhari administration’s defiance of judicial orders and restore trust in Nigeria’s judiciary.
The lawsuit stemmed from the minister’s January 2021 decision to provide financial aid of N5,000 each to 24.3 million poor Nigerians over six months to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
