Group drags Buhari’s government to court over Paris Club refunds spending

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– SERAP is seeking a court order mandating the federal government to publish the release and spending of N388.304billion London Paris Club Loan refunds to the states

– The group says the allegations of corruption in the spending of the London Paris Club loan refunds also exacerbated poverty and social exclusion

– SERAP states that the federal government has a constitutional and statutory obligation to contribute to the eradication of corrupt practices and abuse of power

SERAP wants the federal government to make details of spending of the London Paris Club Loan refunds public.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to compel the Buhari led administration to publish details of spending of the London Paris Club Loan refunds allegedly diverted and mismanaged by 35 states.

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According to a suit filed on Monday, April 3, SERAP is seeking to compel the accountant general of the federation Ahmed Idris, to compile and pass on to the attorney-general of the federation and minister of Justice, Abubabar Malami, information relating to the release and spending of N388.304billion London Paris Club Loan refunds to the states.

The group is also asking for the court to order the attorney-general of the federation to compel the states to publish details of spending of the funds by them, Vanguard reports.

The group said: “The orders sought are necessary to know exactly what happened to the Paris Club refunds, and the release of the information including on a dedicated website would be deemed incidental to the power of the federal government to achieve effective implementation of anticorruption legislation such as the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, which is applicable in all states of the federation, and will not amount to interference with activities within the states involved.”

According to Timothy Adewale, the deputy director of SERAP: “The Applicant argues that allegations of corruption and mismanagement of N388.304 billion London Paris Club loan refunds by states have undermined the human dignity of workers and pensioners facing difficult circumstances that deprive them of their capacity to fully realize their internationally

recognized economic and social rights.”

“The allegations of corruption in the spending of the London Paris Club loan refunds have also exacerbated poverty, social exclusion, and violated the government’s obligation to use its maximum available resources to fully realize the right of all persons especially workers and pensioners who are the most vulnerable sectors of the population.”

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SERAP said the federal government had a constitutional and statutory obligation to contribute to the eradication of corrupt practices and abuse of power.

It states that the government had the responsibility to ensure proper organization and maintenance of all information in its custody in a manner that facilitates public access to such information, and make readily this available to applicants whenever it is sought.

SERAP said since the receipt of its letter dated 17th March, 2017, and up till the filing of the suit, the government has so far failed direct the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice to make public information about the release and spending of N388.304billion London Paris Club Loan refunds to 35 states.

Meanwhile, ZENITHBLOG.com reports that the World Bank, under its Growth and Employment (GEM) project, has approved N756.3 million for disbursement to 81 young Nigerian innovators who participated in the 2016 Aso Villa Demo Day (AVDD).

A document obtained from the World Bank-funded GEM project on Monday in Abuja, showed that the money would be disbursed to the beneficiaries in two tranches after a grant signing ceremony earlier scheduled for end of March.

The AVDD, in collaboration with GEM project, invited business plan submissions from candidates that participated in its regional pitch screening events that took place in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja from which the 81 beneficiaries emerged.

In this ZENITHBLOG.com video below, Nigerians find it difficult to name politicians who are not corrupt.

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