[The Activism Blog] SERAP drags FG to court for paying N40bn to former Governors

SERAP

An NGO, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Federal Government over its “failure to stop former governors and now serving senators and ministers from receiving double pay and life pensions, and failure to seek recovery of over N40 billion of public funds unduly received by these public officers”.

The suit with number FHC/L/CS/1497/17, filed on Friday, October 6, 2017, at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos is seeking the following reliefs: “AN ORDER granting leave to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Relief and to seek an order of Mandamus directing and or compelling the Respondent to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states’ laws permitting former governors, who are now senators and ministers to enjoy governors’ emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices; and to identify those involved and seek full recovery of public funds from the former governors.

“AND for such order or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

The organisation is also arguing that: “Senators and ministers should not be receiving salaries and pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements. National and international laws implicitly forbid public officials entrusted with public resources from granting to themselves emoluments for life while serving in other public offices including as senators and ministers.”

The suit reads in part: “Taking advantage of entrusted public offices and positions to enact laws to grant double emoluments and large severance benefits to serving public officials amounts to not only an abuse of office but also incorrect, dishonourable and improper performance of public functions, as per the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 8 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

“By virtue of Sections 150 and 174 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 26 (2) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the Respondent as the Chief Law Officer of the country and the defender of public interest is constitutionally and statutorily empowered to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person in Nigeria in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National assembly in superior courts in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government has a responsibility to stop former governors from receiving double pay at the expense of workers and pensioners. This position is buttressed by article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, which provides that no state can justify the noncompliance with an international treaty with reference to internal law, including even the constitution”.

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

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail