Monday Reuben, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his administration’s failure to prosecute contractors who allegedly collected over N167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) without executing any projects.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos under case number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025, also names the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as a respondent.
SERAP is seeking a court order compelling President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to publicly disclose the names of contractors and companies that received public funds but failed to execute projects. The organisation also wants the government to publish details of the contracts, including their locations, amounts received, and the shareholders of the implicated companies. Additionally, it is demanding that legal action be taken against those responsible and that all misappropriated funds be recovered.
According to SERAP, the lack of accountability has significantly harmed governance and prevented essential public services from reaching ordinary Nigerians. The organisation maintains that holding these contractors accountable would help curb corruption, fraud, and mismanagement of public resources. Its case is based on findings from the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which revealed that over N167 billion was paid to contractors for abandoned or non-existent projects.
The report highlights that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone disbursed N100 billion to contractors without executing any projects. Other affected MDAs include the Nigerian Correctional Service, National Pension Commission, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Federal Medical Centre Bida, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, National Centre for Women Development, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and the Federal University of Gasua.
SERAP maintains that the failure to act on these findings violates the Nigerian Constitution, anti-corruption laws, and international obligations, particularly the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The lawsuit argues that unchecked corruption in MDAs places a financial burden on citizens, who must pay out-of-pocket for essential services like healthcare and education.
In its legal argument, SERAP emphasizes that Nigeria’s commitment to transparency and accountability requires the government to act against those responsible for the mismanagement of public funds. The suit states that ensuring the accountability of companies and contractors and the recovery of any diverted public funds would improve public accountability in MDAs. It further argues that the UN Convention Against Corruption, to which Nigeria is a signatory, mandates integrity and honesty in economic and financial transactions, both in the public and private sectors.
SERAP’s legal team, represented by Kolawole Oluwadare and Oluwakemi Agunbiade, insists that prosecuting those responsible and recovering the missing funds would reinforce public trust in governance and promote fiscal responsibility. As of now, no date has been set for the hearing of the case, but the lawsuit marks a significant step in holding contractors and public officials accountable for the mismanagement of public funds, a move many Nigerians have long demanded.
