The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a landmark judgment, has ordered President Bola Tinu­bu to direct the Office of the At­torney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to widely publish the names of those indict­ed in the alleged misappropria­tion of over N6 trillion meant to implement the abandoned 13,777 projects and in the running of the Niger Delta Development Com­mission (NDDC) between 2000 and 2019.

The court also ordered the president “to publish and make available to the public the NDDC forensic audit report submitted to the Federal Government on September 2, 2021.”

The judgment was delivered on Monday, November 10, by Hon. Justice Gladys Olotu fol­lowing a Freedom of Informa­tion suit number: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1360/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Ac­countability Project (SERAP). The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last Fri­day.

In her judgment, Justice Olo­tu held that “the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Devel­opment Commission (NDDC), as well as the names of persons in­dicted therein, clearly fall within the definition of ‘public records’ as contained in Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act.”

READ ALSO:‘Missing N6trn’: SERAP Drags FG To ECOWAS Court Over Unpublished NDDC Audit

Justice Olotu also held that “NDDC forensic audit report and the names of persons indicted therein are not exempted under Sections 11-19, as the information relates to the use and manage­ment of public funds.”

Justice Olotu also stated that “the refusal of the president and the Attorney General to publish the audit report or act on the al­legations therein, despite formal demand by SERAP constitutes a breach of their statutory duties under the Freedom of Infor­mation Act, Section 15(5) of the Nigerian constitution 1999 (as amended), and Nigeria’s inter­national obligations to promote transparency and accountability.

“Section 2(3) of the Freedom of Information Act mandates all public institutions to cause to be published certain categories of information, including details of finances and expenditures.

“Applying these principles, the Freedom of Information Act imposes on the president a clear, non-discretionary duty to make the NDDC forensic audit report available to the public and publish the names of those indicted in the report.

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“It is trite law that for an order of mandamus to issue, SERAP must establish (a) a clear legal right to the performance of a duty, (b) a corresponding duty on the president and the Attorney General to perform that duty, (c) a demand for the performance of the duty, and (d) a refusal or neglect to perform same.

“Every person has the right to access information in the custody of any public official or institu­tion, and such institution is under a statutory duty to grant access, except where the information falls within the limited exemp­tions set out under Sections 11-19 of the Act.”

SERAP deputy director Ko­lawole Oluwadare said: “This ground-breaking judgment is a victory for transparency and ac­countability in the spending of public funds.

READ ALSO:NDDC Issues Alert On Fake Offers

“Justice Olotu’s judgment shows the urgent need for the Tinubu government to provide the leadership to ensure trans­parency and accountability for the missing N6 trillion meant to implement the abandoned proj­ects in the Niger Delta.

“We commend Justice Olotu for her courage and wisdom, and urge President Bola Tinubu to im­mediately obey the court orders.”

Femi Falana (SAN) said on the judgment: “SERAP deserves the commendation of all well-mean­ing people that have agonised over reports of systemic corrup­tion in Nigeria.”

Following the declaration of about 158 Local Government Areas and two states as having achieved Open Defecation Free status, the Federal Government, Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and Self Help Africa have called for concerted efforts to sustain and scale up the achievement to other states.

They made the call on Sunday in Abuja at the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Systems Learning Forum organised by Self Help Africa WASH Systems for Health Project, funded by the UK government.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, in a keynote address, said that although, with the help of development partners, two states and 150 LGAs have been declared open defecation free, it is important that the progress is sustained; otherwise, it can vanish easily.

He said, “These milestones are worth celebrating, yet we must remain humble: victory in WASH is never final; it must be continuously maintained. Otherwise, progress can vanish faster than a bucket of cold water left in the Abuja sun.”

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The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, however, noted some of the persistent challenges in the WASH sector, including monitoring gaps, weak data reliability, and limited accountability.

He added, “Our WASH Information Management System (WASHIMS), although innovative, is not yet fully operational across all states and local governments. The WASHNORM exercise has not been conducted since 2021, creating data gaps that affect planning. In the WASH sector, no data is as dangerous as wrong data—both lead to poor decisions.”

He applauded the learning forum, saying it is an opportunity to pause and ask how to fully operationalise WASHNORM nationwide, as well as automate and institutionalise WASH norms, and also ensure that every investment is traceable, measurable, and accountable.

‘Scale up efforts to end open defecation, achieve sanitation target by 2030’
The Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, stated that through the support of FCDO, the organisation is implementing a five-year project named WASH Systems for Health Programme in West Africa.

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The project, according to her, is aimed at strengthening systems, enhancing capacities, and reforming policies across the countries where it operates, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and enabling communities to continue thriving even after the programme ends in 2027.

She pointed out that through collaboration, ranging from government ministries driving reforms to local actors designing context-specific solutions, systems can be transformed, but she emphasised that much work remains.

She said, “Only 158 of more than 700 local government areas in Nigeria have achieved open defecation-free (ODF) status. This figure shows progress but also underscores the scale of the challenge.”

Aderele explained that the sessions will provide opportunities to share ideas, tackle barriers, and draw on practical insights, while also celebrating milestones with humility, recognising that future gains depend on the work being done today.

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The representative of FCDO, Gill Fletcher, in her remarks stated that the WASH Systems for Health project is being implemented in six countries: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Tanzania, Nepal, and Bangladesh, to drive systematic change to ensure sustainable and equitable WASH services.

She emphasised that WASH is not just a sector, but it is central to achieving SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, improving health outcomes, advancing gender equality, unlocking economic growth, and is also critical to Nigeria’s national development agenda of reducing poverty and meeting global commitments.
(Guardian)

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to provide security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country.

In a statement released by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the administration said the police will henceforth refocus on their primary responsibilities instead of guarding individuals.

The directive, according to the statement, followed a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja with the heads of the police, army, Air Force, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

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The presidency clarified that, going forward, “VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.”Africa Grain Supply

The statement added that many rural communities are underserved by police personnel, leaving residents vulnerable. It explained that the President wants to strengthen security nationwide by ensuring more officers are deployed back to local stations.

“In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,” it said, noting that Tinubu has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers.

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The federal government is also partnering with state governments to upgrade police training centres across the country.

Those present at Sunday’s meeting included Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and DSS Director-General Tosin Adeola Ajayi.