In a significant legal ruling, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has mandated Sadia Umar-Farouk, the 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 impoverished Nigerians over a six-month period.
The court also directed the former minister to furnish the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) with a comprehensive list of beneficiaries, including specifics on the selection process, distribution across states, and the amount allocated per state.
This landmark judgment, delivered by Hon. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu in response to SERAP’s Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/853/2021, underscores the obligations imposed by the Freedom of Information Act.
Justice Dipeolu emphasised that public officials, including the former minister, are bound by law to provide such information upon request.
Furthermore, the court rejected objections raised by the minister’s counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments, culminating in a ruling that favoured SERAP and mandated compliance with the disclosure requirements.
Justice Dipeolu’s judgment, dated 27 June 2024, highlighted the minister’s statutory obligations under the Act and dismissed claims that the suit was time-barred, affirming SERAP’s procedural adherence.
Following the ruling, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, hailed the decision as a triumph for transparency and accountability in public expenditure.
Oluwadare urged immediate compliance from the government, stressing the pivotal role of this judgment in addressing systemic corruption concerns within various ministries and agencies.
Human rights activist Femi Falana, SAN (Senior Advocate of Nigeria), echoed these sentiments, commending SERAP for its advocacy and calling on the government to utilise the judgment as a basis for combating corruption effectively.
In 2021, Sadiya announced that the Federal government would distribute N729 billion among 24.3 million poor Nigerians.
According to her, the decision was taken to provide a cushion for those further impoverished by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scheme was grouped under the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCT) where a Federal Government’s emergency intervention database for the urban poor was used to decide the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries were then placed on a N5,000 monthly stipend each for six months.
However, the scheme was reportedly hijacked by top politicians in collaboration with the humanitarian ministry and the funds couldn’t reach the people it was meant for.
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