The Federal High Court in Lagos has directed former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, to account for the disbursement of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians over a six-month period.
The court also instructed the former minister to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries, including the number of states covered and the amount paid per state.
Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu delivered the judgment in June, following a Freedom of Information lawsuit (FHC/L/CS/853/2021) filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
The organization obtained the certified true copy of the judgment last Friday.
In his judgment, Justice Dipeolu held that “The former minister is compelled by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to give information to any person, including SERAP. I therefore grant an order of mandamus directing and compelling the minister to provide the spending details of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians in 2021.”
Justice Dipeolu ordered the minister to “provide SERAP with details of how the beneficiaries have been selected and the mechanisms for the payments to the beneficiaries.”
The judge also ordered the minister to “explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which translates to five per cent of Nigeria’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”
She ruled that “the minister did not give any reason for the refusal to disclose the details sought by SERAP. SERAP has reeled out the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 that the minister contravened and has, in line with sections 20 and 25(1) of the Act, prayed this Court for an order of mandamus to direct and compel the minister to provide the information sought.”
Justice Dipeolu rejected the objections raised by the minister’s counsel and supported SERAP’s arguments.
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