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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the 36 state governors, alleging a lack of transparency and accountability in the handling of trillions of naira in Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations since 1999.
Filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja under reference FHC/ABJ/CS/666/2024, SERAP’s lawsuit comes in the wake of reports revealing the disbursement of N1.123 trillion to federal, state, and local governments for March 2024 alone. The subsequent sharing of N1.208 trillion in April further intensified concerns.
According to SERAP, while states received N398.689 billion in March and N403.403 billion in April, the lack of clarity regarding how these funds have been utilized remains troubling.
In a statement issued by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization stressed the importance of transparency in public fund management, asserting that Nigerians have the right to know how FAAC allocations have been expended over the past decades.
“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,” Oluwadare stated.
The lawsuit seeks to compel the governors and the FCT Minister to disclose detailed expenditure reports of FAAC allocations dating back to 1999, including comprehensive lists and locations of projects executed with the allocated funds.
SERAP’s action underscores growing concerns over the alleged mismanagement of public funds, with trillions of naira in FAAC allocations purportedly failing to yield tangible benefits for the Nigerian populace.
The outcome of this legal challenge could have significant implications for accountability and transparency in the governance of public finances at both the federal and state levels.