Court Orders Buhari’s Minister to Account for N729bn

• A Federal High Court ordered the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to provide a detailed account of N729 billion disbursed to 24.3 million poor Nigerians
• The court dismissed the minister’s objections and upheld the argument that the Freedom of Information Act mandates transparency in public fund expenditure

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Sadiya Umar Farouq, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, to provide a detailed account of N729 billion she approved for 24.3 million Nigerians over six months. Farouq served in the cabinet of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu delivered the judgment in June, following a Freedom of Information suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The court mandated the former minister supply SERAP with a list of beneficiaries, the number of states covered, and each state’s payments.

Justice Dipeolu stated, “The former minister is compelled by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to give information to any person, including SERAP. I therefore grant an order of mandamus directing and compelling the minister to provide the spending details of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians in 2021.”

Farouq must also explain the criteria used to select beneficiaries, the payment mechanisms, and the rationale behind disbursing N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which equates to five percent of Nigeria’s 2021 budget of N13.6 trillion.

The court dismissed the objections the former minister’s counsel raised and upheld SERAP’s argument, stating that Farouq did not provide any reason for refusing to disclose the requested details. The court emphasized the relevance of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 in mandating transparency.

Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, hailed the judgment as a significant step toward transparency and accountability in public fund expenditure. He urged President Bola Tinubu to address corruption allegations in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and other government departments.

Oluwadare said, “This ground-breaking judgment is a victory for transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds. Justice Dipeolu’s judgment shows the urgent need for the Tinubu government to genuinely address the systemic allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development and other ministries, departments, and agencies, as documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation. We commend Justice Dipeolu for her courage and wisdom and urge President Bola Tinubu to obey the court orders immediately.”