Court has ordered that Ex-president Buhari's minister Sadia Umar- Farouk to account for 729billion 'payments to millions of poor Nigerians'.

 

The court also ordered that the ex minister should provide details of the beneficiaries who received the money, the number

of states covered and payments per state.

A federal high court in Lagos has ordered Ms Sadia Umar-Farouk, former minister for Humanitarian affairs , disaster management and social development to give account for payment of 729billion to 24.3million poor Nigerians for six months.

The Judgement was delivered last month by Hon justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a freedom of information suit numbered FHC/L/CS/853/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability project. SERAP. Said it obtained certified true copy of the judgement last Friday.

In this Judgement, Justice Dipeolu held that "The former minister is compelled by the freedom of Information Act to give information to any person including SERAP.

" I thereby declare an order of mandamus compelling the Minister to give an account of how 729billion was shared among 24.3million Nigerians, in 2021.

Justice Dipeolu ordered that the minister provides 'SERAP a detailed account on how the beneficiaries were selected and how the payment were made to the beneficiaries.

Justice Dipeolu also ordered the minister to explain the rationale of paying N5000 to 24.3million poor Nigerians which translates 5 Percent of Nigeria's 2021 annual budget of N13.6trillion.

Justice Dipeolu also stated that the minister didn't give any reason for the refusal to disclose the details sought by SERAP. SERAP has reeled out the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information ACT 2011 that the minister contravened and has inline with sections 20 and 25(1) of the ACT prayed this court for an order of mandamus to compel and direct the minister to provide the information sought.

Justice Dipeolu dismissed objections made by the minister's counsel and upheld SERAP'S arguments. Consequently the court entered Judgement in favour of SERAP against the minister.