President Bola Tinubu has been sued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) following the federal government’s failure to prosecute contractors who failed to execute any projects despite raking in N167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
In the suit number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to publish the specific names of the companies and contractors as documented in the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor General of the Federation.”
In the suit, SERAP maintained that the allegations of corruption involving many companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs have continued to impair, obstruct and undermine the access of poor Nigerians to public goods and services.
SERAP also argued that prosecuting companies and contractors who collected over N167bn from 31 MDAs but disappeared with the money would prevent and combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the spending of public funds.
“There is a legitimate public interest in not shielding or allowing ingrained wrongdoing by companies and contractors to go unpunished,” SERAP said.
The body added that the consequences of corruption are felt by citizens on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to additional costs to pay for health, education, and administrative services.
The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms. Oluwakemi Agunbiade, read in part: “Granting the reliefs sought would ensure transparency and accountability in how any public funds are spent by MDAs, and reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.
“The UN Convention against Corruption, to which Nigeria is a state party, contains requirements of integrity and honesty in economic, financial, or commercial activities in the public and private sectors.
“It also imposes obligations on the government to ensure that sanctions imposed for corruption on natural and legal persons are effective, proportionate, and dissuasive.
“Ensuring the accountability of companies and contractors and the recovery of any diverted public funds would improve public accountability in MDAs.
“The accountability of government to the general public is a hallmark of democratic governance, which Nigeria seeks to practice.”
(The Guardian)
