- Demands Prosecution of Contractors, Full Transparency on Missing Funds
Matilda Omonaiye/
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Bola Tinubu over his administration’s failure to prosecute contractors who allegedly collected ₦167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) without executing any projects.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, also names the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as a respondent. SERAP is urging the court to compel President Tinubu to direct Finance Minister Olawale Edun to publish the names of the companies involved and prosecute those responsible.
The allegations stem from the 2021 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which revealed that ₦167.5 billion was disbursed for unexecuted projects. The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone reportedly paid a staggering ₦100 billion to contractors without any corresponding work. Other MDAs involved include the Nigerian Correctional Service, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), National Pension Commission, and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
SERAP argues that these fraudulent contracts have directly affected Nigerians by depriving them of essential public goods and services, exacerbating poverty and economic hardship.
The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling President Tinubu to:
• Direct the Attorney General to bring the fraudulent contractors to justice.
• Instruct the Finance Minister to publish the names of companies that received payments without delivering projects.
• Reveal the locations of the projects, the amount paid to each contractor, and details of their shareholders.
SERAP insists that transparency and accountability are fundamental to preventing waste, fraud, and abuse of public funds. The organization stresses that shielding corrupt contractors would further weaken Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts and violate both the Nigerian Constitution and international anti-corruption treaties.
The lawsuit presents a major test for Tinubu, who has vowed to fight corruption and ensure accountability in governance. SERAP argues that failing to act would embolden further mismanagement of public funds, worsening Nigeria’s economic crisis.
The case underscores growing public frustration over corruption scandals in government agencies, with calls for swift prosecution and recovery of stolen funds. No date has been set for the hearing.