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SERAP Sues 36 Governors, FCT Minister Over FAAC Allocations

Published

1 year ago

May 19, 2024

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sued Nigeria’s 36 governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,Nyesom Wike.

They were sued for failing “to account for the spending of trillions of Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations collected by their states and the FCT since 1999″.

This was contained in a release on Sunday by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The release said the lawsuit followed reports that the FAAC disbursed N1.123 trillion to federal, state, and local governments for March 2024. They shared N1.208 trillion in April. States collected N398.689 billion in March while they collected N403.403 billion in April.

In the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/666/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP asked the court to “direct and compel the governors and Wike to publish spending details of the FAAC allocations collected by their states and the FCT since 1999 including the list and locations of projects executed with the money.”

The organisation also asked the court to “compel the governors and Mr Wike to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to probe any allegations of corruption linked to the allocations and to monitor how the money is spent”.

It argued that, “Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds including FAAC allocations, are spent by the governors and FCT minister.”

“Opacity in the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by the governors and Mr Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens,” SERAP said.

It noted that trillions of FAAC allocations received by Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT have allegedly gone down the drain.

It believes that, “Directing and compelling the governors and FCT minister to provide the information sought and widely publish the spending details of the FAAC allocations collected by them would serve legitimate public interests.”

It added, “The failure by the governors and the FCT ministers to account for the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by them is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.”

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part, “States and the FCT should be guided by transparency and accountability principles and proactively account for the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by them.

“Secrecy in the spending of FAAC allocations collected by the governors and the FCT minister also denies Nigerians the right to know how public funds are spent. Transparency in the spending would allow them to retain control over their government.

“The governors and FCT minister have a legal obligation to provide the information sought including the list of specific projects completed with the FAAC allocations collected, the locations of any such projects and completion reports of the projects.

“The information sought should also include details of the salaries and pensions paid from the FAAC allocations collected, as well as the details of projects executed on hospitals and schools with the FAAC allocations.

“Despite the increased FAAC allocations to states and FCT, millions of residents in several states and the FCT continue to face extreme poverty and lack access to basic public goods and services”

It added, “The reported removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the exchange rate by the Federal Government has translated into increased FAAC allocations to states and the FCT. However, there is no corresponding improvement in the security and welfare of millions of Nigerians.

“FAAC allocations received by the states and the FCT are reportedly characterised by mismanagement, diversion of funds, and abandoned projects. FAAC allocations have also been allegedly spent for other purposes such as election campaigns and political patronage.

“Publishing the documents on the spending of FAAC allocations by the states and the FCT would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds.

“Publishing the documents would also enable Nigerians to meaningfully engage in the implementation of projects executed with the FAAC allocations collected.”

SERAP noted that the report that “some 140 million Nigerians are poor suggests corruption and mismanagement in the spending of trillions of naira in FAAC allocations collected by the states and the FCT”.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

News

Lunar Eclipse To Hit Nigeria, Other African Countries

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2025

Editor

Nigerians, alongside residents of some African nations, are set to witness a rare celestial spectacle on Sunday, September 7, when a total lunar eclipse lights up the skies from 8:00 p.m. West Africa Time.

The phenomenon, which will last about 83 minutes, is expected to turn the Moon a vivid reddish colour, drawing the attention of sky watchers across the region.

According to the National Television Authority (NTA), scientists confirmed that the eclipse will be visible across much of Africa.

“Countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Togo, Niger, Chad, and São Tomé and Príncipe will experience the eclipse, though the westernmost areas may miss parts of the early penumbral or partial phases due to the Moon rising closer to or during totality,” the network reported on Sunday.

Although some westernmost areas may not see the early phases, much of Nigeria will enjoy a clear view of the event, which scientists describe as safe and awe-inspiring.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration stated on its website that a lunar eclipse may be total, partial, or penumbral, and predicted that Sunday’s total eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

The Moon’s red glow, often referred to as a “blood moon,” comes from sunlight bending through Earth’s atmosphere, a phenomenon NASA recently linked to temperature variations on the lunar surface during such events.

Unlike solar eclipses, which require protective eyewear, this lunar eclipse can be viewed safely with the naked eye.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, with Earth’s shadow falling across the Moon.

News

DSS Gives X Ultimatum To Pull Down Sowore’s Tweet

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) has demanded that X (formerly Twitter) remove a tweet against President Bola Tinubu by activist Omoyele Sowore, giving the social media platform a 24-hour ultimatum to comply.

The DSS claims the tweet “disparages” President Bola Tinubu and poses a threat to Nigeria’s national security.

In a letter signed on behalf of the Director-General, the DSS cited a tweet from Sowore’s verified handle, @YeleSowore, dated August 25, 2025. The tweet, which has now been widely reported, reads: “This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

The DSS’s notice to X stated that the tweet is a “disparaging” and “dangerous” publication that could incite unrest and create “political tension.”

“The tweet under reference is against the transparency on X and Government has frowned at it and found it extremely dangerous, false, privacy violation behaviour that manipulate and negatively impacts on the person of the President and the Country.”

“The said tweet is still in circulation and has attracted widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians, some of whom may resort to unwholesome activities to vent their grievance over it, especially supporters of the President who have started taking to the streets in protest, thereby creating political tension and threatening the country’s national security. This is in addition to the disparaging effect the tweet has on the reputation of Mr. President and the country before the comity of nations.”

The service claimed that the tweet, directed at the President’s official X account, has already led to protests from his supporters.

The letter also asserted that the tweet violates several Nigerian laws, including the Cyber Crimes Act 2025, the Criminal Code Act, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The DSS alleged that the words used by Sowore constitute “misleading information, online harassment and abuse,” and an attempt to “cause disunity” and “discredit the President.”

The security agency warned of “far-reaching, sweeping and across-the-board measures” if X fails to take down the tweet and its attendant retweets within the stipulated 24-hour period.

“It is against the above highlighted backdrop that we make an immediate and urgent demand on your Corporation to as a matter of its own policy, immediately TAKE DOWN the tweet and its attendant re-tweets. This demand is unequivocal with its attendant consequence. Should you fail, neglect and refuse to comply with the command in this notice, the Federal Government will be compelled to take far-reaching, sweeping and across-the-board measures through our Organisation, whose mandate covers such criminal acts. In the light of the above having been made official to you, 24 hours is sufficient enough to take necessary action.”

News

SERAP Drags RMAFC To Court Over Proposed Salary Hike For Political Office Holders

Published

3 hours ago

September 7, 2025

Editor

The Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), seeking to halt and reverse a proposed salary increase for Nigeria’s political elite.

The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is challenging the legality and morality of the commission’s proposal, arguing that it is unconstitutional and insensitive to the country’s dire economic realities.

The legal action comes in the wake of RMAFC’s recent announcement that it intends to review upward the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

The commission had justified the proposed hike by claiming the current emoluments are paltry, a statement that has drawn widespread criticism from the public.

SERAP’s lawsuit, designated FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025, aims to get a court determination on whether such a move is unlawful, unconstitutional, and inconsistent with the rule of law.

The human rights advocacy group is not only seeking a declaration that the proposed salary increase is illegal, but also asking the court to issue a restraining order to prevent RMAFC from taking further steps to implement the pay rise.

Furthermore, SERAP is seeking an order directing the commission to review downward the salaries and allowances of these political office holders to better reflect the nation’s economic state.

In its suit, filed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms. Oluwakemi Oni, and Andrew Nwankwo, the human rights organisation contends that restraining the commission from arbitrarily increasing these salaries serves a legitimate public interest.

It argued that while the RMAFC has a constitutional mandate to set salaries, this power is not unrestrained or unbridled.

According to SERAP, the proposed salary increase constitutes a gross misuse of the commission’s constitutional and statutory mandates and is a violation of the legal doctrine of reasonableness.

The lawsuit references a 2021 judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which had previously ordered RMAFC to review downward and fix the salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly.

That judgment followed a consolidated suit brought by a coalition of civil society organisations, including SERAP, BudgIT, and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), along with concerned citizens.

SERAP’s suit also draws on fundamental constitutional principles, particularly those outlined in Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, which deals with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.

The organisation argued that the proposed pay rise is a gross violation of these principles and the country’s international human rights obligations.

The lawsuit asserted that the combined provisions of Chapters 2 and 4, which focus on fundamental rights, give substance to the socio-economic rights of Nigerians and their right to equality and non-discrimination.

A central pillar of SERAP’s argument is the stark contrast between the proposed pay increase and the grim economic realities faced by the majority of Nigerians.

The legal action pointed out that over 133 million Nigerians are currently living in poverty, adding that several state governments are struggling to pay workers’ salaries and pensions, making an upward review of political salaries particularly insensitive and unjustifiable.

The lawsuit stated further, “RMAFC cannot legitimately or justifiably increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers at a time when over 133 million Nigerians are poor.”

SERAP posited that the RMAFC appears to consistently prioritise the interests of political office holders over those of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

The organisation maintained that the commission, in exercising its mandates, ought to balance the interests of the marginalised against the interests of the political class.

The lawsuit also advocated for prioritising cuts to the excessive allowances and life pensions for former political office holders, arguing that the principle of representative democracy, fairness, and equality is undermined when the living standards of millions of citizens plummet while political leaders enjoy arbitrary salary increases.

Furthermore, the suit painted a picture of the deteriorating public services in Nigeria, noting that access to essential services like pipe-borne water, affordable healthcare, and reliable electricity remains a dream for many, even as these services are becoming more ubiquitous and cheap globally.

This backdrop, according to SERAP, makes the proposed pay hike a morally reprehensible act and a betrayal of public trust.

It would be recalled that the RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello, had stated on August 18, 2025, that the commission’s proposal for a pay rise was based on the seriously flawed ground that the salaries were paltry.

He claimed the review package was fair, realistic, and sustainable and aligned with the country’s current socio-economic realities.

He also noted that the last major overhaul of the allocation formula was in 1992, with only executive adjustments since 2002.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.