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SERAP Sues Tinubu, Demands Details Of Obasanjo, Buhari, Others’ Loans

Published

1 year ago

June 9, 2024

Editor

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The organisation described the move as necessary so as to ensure financial transparency.

The lawsuit demands the publication of detailed spending reports and agreements related to loans acquired by the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari.

Filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, the suit aims to compel the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Debt Management Office to disclose how these loans, totaling billions of dollars, were utilised.

SERAP contends that the citizens’ right to know how public funds are spent is fundamental to democratic governance and accountability.

The organisation argued that transparency in loan agreements and expenditures is critical for Nigerians to evaluate their government’s performance, especially in light of persistent extreme poverty and inadequate public services despite substantial borrowing.

According to a Sunday statement signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the outcome of the case could significantly impact the transparency and accountability mechanisms in Nigeria’s financial management.

The statement was titled, “SERAP sues Tinubu govt over failure to account for loans by ex-presidents.”

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/353/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking 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.”

SERAP is also asking 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.”

In the suit, SERAP is arguing 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.”

SERAP is also arguing 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.”

“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,” the statement added.

SERAP is arguing that, “Nigerians’ right to a democratic governance allows them to appreciably influence the direction of government, and have an opportunity to assess progress and assign blame.”

SERAP is also arguing that, “The accountability of government to the general public is a hallmark of democratic governance, which Nigeria seeks to achieve.”

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).”

“Nigerians are entitled to information about what their government is doing in their name. This is part of their right to information.

“Publishing the agreements and spending details would allow the public to see how and on what these governments spent the loans and foster transparency and accountability.

“Publishing the loan agreements signed by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, and widely publishing the agreements would allow Nigerians to scrutinise it and to demand accountability for the spending of the loans.

“According to Nigeria’s Debt Management Office, the total public domestic debt portfolio for the country’s is N97.3 trillion ($108 billion). The Federal Government’s debt is N87.3 trillion ($97 billion).”

“Nigeria paid $6.2 billion in 2019 as interest on loans while the country paid $6.5 as interest in 2018. Nigeria also paid $5 billion as interest on loans in 2017 while the country paid $4.4 billion as interest in 2016. For 2015, the interest paid on loans was $5.5 billion.

“Substantial parts of the loans obtained by successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999 may have been mismanaged, diverted or stolen, and in any case remain unaccounted for.

“Persons with public responsibilities ought to be answerable to the people for the performance of their duties including the management of the loans obtained between May 1999 and May 2023,” the statement read.

The organisation noted that this action becomes necessary to curb corruption and financial mismanagement.

“The Tinubu government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any loans obtained by the Federal Government are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.”

“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information, including to copies of the loan agreements obtained by successive governments since 1999.”

“By the combined reading of the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, there are transparency obligations imposed on the Tinubu government to widely publish the agreements and details of the projects on which the loans were spent.”

“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities,” it further read.

Meanwhile, the statement asserted that no date has yet to be fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Headline

South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges

Published

9 hours ago

October 1, 2025

Editor

A South African court on Wednesday found firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema guilty of violating gun laws for firing an assault rifle at a 2018 rally.

Malema, leader of the radical anti-capitalist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, is known for fiery speeches and courting political tensions both at home and abroad.

The 44-year-old and his former bodyguard were charged with firing the gun in the air during the EFF’s fifth birthday celebration in Eastern Cape province.

The court found him guilty of unlawful possession, reckless endangerment, among other charges, the National Prosecuting Authority said.

Malema could face up to 15 years in prison. The case will be heard on January 23 next year for pre-sentencing.

Malema, who was present in court for the verdict, said he will appeal the decision.

Speaking to supporters outside, he struck a defiant tone: “As a revolutionary, going to prison or death is a badge of honour. We cannot be scared of prison or dying for the revolution.”

In August, Malema was found guilty of hate speech for telling his supporters at a 2022 rally that they should “never be scared to kill.”

He has long been criticised by South Africa’s white minority for his radical rhetoric and his singing of the anti-apartheid song “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer”, which some say incites anti-white violence.

Headline

Church Scaffold Collapse Kills 36

Published

11 hours ago

October 1, 2025

Editor

Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said.

The incident occurred at around 7:45 am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70 kilometres (40 miles) east of the capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival.

District police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state media Fana: “The number of dead has reached 36 and could increase more”, adding “more than 200 people have suffered injuries” and were receiving treatment at a local hospital.

Some people remained under the rubble, local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), without giving further details about those trapped or possible rescue efforts.

He said some of the more seriously hurt were taken to hospitals in the capital.

Images shared on the EBC’s official Facebook page showed a mess of collapsed wooden poles, with crowds gathering amid the dense debris.

Other pictures appeared to show the outside of the church where scaffolding had been precariously constructed.

A government statement shared by EBC expressed condolences and added that “safety must be given priority”.

Health and safety regulations are virtually non-existent in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, and construction accidents are common.

The sprawling country is a mosaic of 80 ethnic groups and has one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.

Its predecessor, the Axumite Empire, declared Christianity the state religion in the fourth century.

Headline

Rescuers Pull Survivor From Indonesia School Collapse As Parents Await

Published

11 hours ago

October 1, 2025

Editor

Rescuers pulled a survivor from the ruins of a collapsed school in Indonesia on Wednesday, as desperate parents demanded that searchers speed up efforts to find dozens more still believed trapped in the rubble.

Part of the multi-storey school on the island of Java gave way suddenly on Monday, as students gathered for afternoon prayers.

On Wednesday, rescuers said they had retrieved a survivor and a fourth body from the ruined building, but gave no details on either.

Based on school records, “91 people are suspected to be buried,” National Disaster and Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement late Tuesday.

Tearful parents milled near the ruins throughout Wednesday, awaiting news of their children.

“We believe our children might still be alive because they were crying for help,” said father Abdul Hanan, whose 14-year-old son is missing. “The rescue operation must be accelerated.”

“We are racing against time now,” the 45-year-old added, bursting into tears.

Nearby, Dewi Sulistiana was awaiting news of her 14-year-old son, with whom she was last in touch on Sunday. The boarding school limits student access to cellphones.

She rushed to the scene from Surabaya, several dozen kilometres (miles) away, after hearing about the collapse.

“I have been here for days. I cried thinking about my son,” she told AFP. “Why is it taking so long to find him? Why is the search so slow? I haven’t had any updates, so I just wait.”

The rescue operation is complex, said Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

“If vibration happens in one spot, it could affect other places. So now, to reach the spot where the victims are, we have to dig an underground tunnel,” he told reporters.

Digging itself poses challenges, including possible landslides. And any tunnel will only provide an access route around 60 centimetres (about 23 inches) wide because of the structure’s concrete columns.

Technology, including thermal-sensing drones, is being used to locate survivors and the deceased as the 72-hour “golden period” for best survival chances nears its end.

AFP saw rescuers in orange uniforms appearing to snake cameras under the rubble to hunt for traces of survivors.

So far, signs of life have been detected in seven areas, said Emi Freezer, of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Water and food were being sent in, but access was through a single point, he said. “The main structure has totally collapsed.”

Complicating the operation, an earthquake struck offshore overnight, briefly halting the search.

Around the ruins, local charitable organisations have set up posts offering families food and drink.

The school collapse was so violent it sent tremors across the neighbourhood, said local resident Ani.

“I felt a vibration, and then I heard a noise. I immediately ran to save myself. I didn’t realise at first it was a building collapse,” the grocery stall owner told AFP.

“Many people then also ran to save themselves,” she added.

Investigations into the cause of the collapse were ongoing, but initial signs point to structural issues and construction that did not meet building standards, experts said.

The building collapsed after its foundation pillars failed to support the weight of new construction on the fourth floor of the school, said the national disaster management agency spokesman.

Lax construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building safety in Indonesia, where it is common to leave structures — particularly houses — partially completed, allowing owners to add extra floors later when their budgets permit.s

Earlier this month, at least three people were killed and dozens were injured when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java province.

AFP