By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and four ‘concerned’ Nigerians, has dragged the administration of President Bola Tinubu over its failure to publish the report of the forensic audit conducted on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The four ‘concerned’ Nigerians in the suit are Prince Taiwo Aiyedatiwa; Chief Jude Igbogifurotogu Pulemote; Ben Omietimi Tariye; and Princess Elizabeth Egbe.
The audit, ordered in 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, was meant to uncover the whereabouts of an estimated ₦6 trillion allegedly misappropriated from the Commission between 2001 and 2019.
According to SERAP, the unreleased report reportedly indicts several high-ranking government officials and politicians.
The plaintiffs in the suit numbered ECW/CCJ/APP/35/25 and filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by their lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, last Friday before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, are seeking, among others, “A declaration that the failure of the Nigerian government to publish the NDDC forensic report amounts to a fundamental breach of the country’s international human rights obligations.”
The plaintiffs are also seeking “an order directing and compelling the Nigerian government to publish and ensure access to information to the NDDC forensic report which has been submitted to the government but remains shrouded in secrecy.
“An order directing and compelling the Nigerian government to adopt and ensure effective measures to address transparency and accountability gaps in the spending of public funds budgeted for the NDDC.”
In the suit, the plaintiffs argue thus: “The Nigerian government has violated our right to know the truth about the corruption allegations documented in the NDDC forensic report. The obstruction of the publication of the report is perpetrating impunity and the cover-up of the allegations documented in the report.”
The plaintiffs in the suit averred that Nigerians have the right to know their resources are being managed by the government and failure amount to breach.of their fundamental right to access open information.
“”Implicit in freedom of expression is the public’s right to open access to information and to know what governments are doing on their behalf, without which truth would languish and people’s participation in government would remain fragmented and illusory.
“The Nigerian government has failed and refused to publish the NDDC forensic report and has failed to provide any reasons or grounds for withholding the report from the plaintiffs and the Nigerian public,” the suit read in part.
The suit also cited recent allegations by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who claimed that the wife of a former minister received ₦48 billion over the course of a year, purportedly for “training Niger Delta women.”
Saharareporters report that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
