The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the government of Chief Bola Tinubu over its failure to publish spending details of the loans obtained by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.
The suit was filed against the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Debt Management Office (DMO).
SERAP argued that the Tinubu government should make it possible for citizens to have access to the agreements and spending details to judge whether their government is working for them or not.
According to SERAP, “The information may help to explain why, despite several billions of dollars in loans obtained by successive governments, millions of Nigerians continue to face extreme poverty and lack access to basic public goods and services.”
In the suit number FHC/L/CS/353/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP asked the court to direct and compel the Tinubu government to publish the loan agreements obtained by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.
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The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part: “Publishing the loan agreements would improve public accountability in ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs.”
SERAP is also praying the court to “direct and compel the Tinubu government to publish the spending details of any such loans, including the interests and other payments so far made on the loans.
SERAP, in the suit argued that, “No one should be able to pull curtains of secrecy around decisions on the spending of public funds which can be revealed without injury to the public interest. Democracy requires accountability and accountability requires transparency.”
It further stated that the accountability of government to the general public is a hallmark of democratic governance, which Nigeria seeks to achieve.
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