Abuja, July 7, 2024 – A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Sadia Umar-Farouk, a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, to account for ₦729 billion paid to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months.
The court also ordered Umar-Farouk to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered and the payments per state.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu, delivered the judgment in June following a Freedom of Information suit numbered FHC/L/CS/853/2021 brought by the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP).
SERAP said it just obtained a certified true copy of the judgment last Friday.
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.”
He also directed the minister to “provide SERAP with details of how the beneficiaries have been selected and the mechanisms for the payments to the beneficiaries.”
Dipeolu also ordered the minister to “explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which translates to five percent of Nigeria’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”
He said: “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.”
Dipeolu dismissed the objections raised by the minister’s counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments. (GBN)
