The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated legal action against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to mandate the prosecution of contractors accused of collecting over ₦167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) without executing any projects.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has also been named as a respondent in the lawsuit. SERAP is seeking an order directing the AGF to prosecute all companies and contractors who received public funds for uncompleted projects.
Additionally, the organization has demanded that the Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun, publicly disclose the names of the contractors and companies involved, along with detailed information about the projects, their locations, the funds received, and the shareholders of the implicated companies.
SERAP’s legal team, led by Kolawole Oluwadare and Oluwakemi Agunbiade, emphasized that this large-scale corruption scandal significantly hampers public access to essential services, including healthcare and education.
They argued that prosecuting the offenders would help curb waste, fraud, and abuse of public resources. Furthermore, shielding corrupt entities from accountability, they noted, contravenes the Nigerian Constitution (1999 as amended), anti-corruption laws, and the country’s international obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
The organization reiterated the importance of public accountability as a fundamental pillar of democratic governance in Nigeria, emphasizing that transparency enables citizens to influence decisions and assess governmental progress.
According to the 2021 Annual Audit Report published by the Auditor-General of the Federation on November 13, 2024, 31 MDAs paid a total of ₦167,592,177,559.40 to companies for projects that were never executed.
The report revealed that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone allegedly paid ₦100 billion for incomplete projects. Other MDAs implicated in the audit include the Nigerian Correctional Service, National Pension Commission in Abuja, Federal College of Land Resources Technology in Owerri, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) Office, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and Federal Medical Centre in Bida, Niger State.
Additional agencies cited include the National Centre for Women Development, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Federal University of Gasua, and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
SERAP emphasized that transparency is critical to upholding accountability and urged the government to disclose all information related to the fraudulent contracts.
The organization firmly believes that Nigerians have a right to democratic governance, which includes the ability to hold officials accountable for public resources and assess government progress.
The legal action underscores SERAP’s continued commitment to promoting accountability and ensuring the responsible management of Nigeria’s public funds.