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News - North Central - FCT Updated: December 04, 2022

President Buhari Sued By SERAP Over Missing Ecological Funds

By Sydney Elike
December 04, 2022
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A lawsuit has been filed against President Muhammadu Buhari by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) over “the failure to probe the spending of trillions of ecological funds by governments at all levels—federal, state and local governments from 2001 to date, and to ensure the prosecution of suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement of public funds.”

Included in the suit as respondents are the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Amid the recent report that 600 persons died and 1.3 million were rendered homeless as a result of the floods, SERAP in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/2283/2022 wants the court to compel President Buhari to promptly and thoroughly investigate the spending of Ecological Fund by governments at the Federal, state and local government levels from 2001 to date.

The body requests the court to “direct and compel President Buhari to ensure that suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement of trillions of ecological funds are promptly brought to justice, and any missing public funds fully recovered.”

“According to the audit of the Ecological Fund Office carried out by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the total amount received by the fund from December 2011 to November 2016 alone was N277 billion.

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“The operations of the Fund from 2012 to 2016 reportedly showed that some of the disbursements were not utilised for the purpose for which it was established.

"During these periods, N74,170,932,645.20 was released to State Governments to solve ecological problems in their States.

“Although ecological funds are shared across the three tiers of government, and emergency management agencies, the funds are managed and supervised by the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government has the legal obligations to prevent and address the threats to human rights that result from climate change, and to provide access to justice and effective remedies for victims when these rights are violated.

“The Federal Government has a positive obligation to protect individuals against the threat posed to human rights by climate change, regardless of the causes, and to effectively address the aftermath of the flooding such as deterioration in health, diminishing access to safe drinking water and susceptibility to disease.

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“Climate change also has the potential to exacerbate existing threats to human rights in the country.

"Rising global temperatures will jeopardise many people’s livelihoods, increasing their vulnerability to poverty and social deprivation.

“Many years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of Ecological Fund and entrenched impunity of perpetrators have undermined the ability of governments at all levels and emergency management agencies to prevent the impact of flooding on the human rights vulnerable Nigerians.

“Allegations of corruption and mismanagement have undermined the ability of authorities at all levels to invest in drainage systems and to tackle soil erosion and climate change challenges across several parts of the country.

“The funds released for ecological projects are characterised by mismanagement, diversion of funds, substandard and abandoned projects fully paid for.

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"Ecological funds have also been allegedly spent for other purposes such as election campaigns and political patronage.

“Prevention of corruption in the spending of the Ecological Fund, and preventing and addressing the challenges caused by climate change are serious and legitimate public interests.

“There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the management of the Ecological Fund.

“Nigerians have the right to know how the public funds budgeted to address ecological challenges are spent.

"Publishing the details of allocations of the Ecological Fund since 2001 would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds", SERAP stated in the suit.

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Sydney Elike

Sydney is a graduate of Theatre Arts, a Writer, Movie Buff, Avid Reader, Video Game Enthusiast and ...

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