SERAP Drags Governors, Wike To Court Over Failure To Account For ₦14tn Fuel Subsidy Savings
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over their alleged failure to account for the spending of ₦14 trillion generated from fuel subsidy savings.
SERAP said the legal action followed reports that the governors and the FCT minister have received trillions of naira as fuel subsidy savings through disbursements from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) since mid-2023.
The organisation noted that despite the significant increase in allocations, there has been no corresponding improvement in access to quality healthcare and education for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
In a statement issued, SERAP said Nigerians have a constitutional right to know how public funds, including fuel subsidy savings, are being utilised by state governments and the FCT administration.
“We have filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, over their failure to account for the spending of the ₦14 trillion fuel subsidy savings collected through FAAC allocations,” the organisation said.
SERAP explained that the democratic principle enshrined in the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to information regarding the use of public resources.
“Citizens’ right to know fosters openness, transparency, and accountability, which are essential to the country’s democratic order,” it stated.
The group said there is a compelling public interest in ensuring that the governors and the FCT minister urgently disclose how the subsidy savings collected so far have been spent.
SERAP warned that continued lack of transparency in the utilisation of the increased FAAC allocations would further undermine the fundamental interests of Nigerians.
“Opacity in the spending of the increased FAAC allocations derived from fuel subsidy savings by the governors and Mr Wike will continue to negatively affect the fundamental interests of citizens,” the organisation said.
According to SERAP, funds saved from the removal of fuel subsidy should be used exclusively for the benefit of poor and vulnerable Nigerians who are most affected by the policy.
The organisation added that transparency in the management of the subsidy savings would help prevent what it described as a “morally repugnant double jeopardy” for Nigerians already bearing the burden of the subsidy removal.
