Court Directs Buhari’s Minister To Clarify N729bn Disbursement For Poverty Alleviation

Court Directs Buhari’s Minister To Clarify N729bn Disbursement For Poverty Alleviation....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Sadia Umar-Farouk, to disclose the specifics of how N729 billion allegedly disbursed to 24.3 million impoverished Nigerians was utilized……… CONTINUE READING

The court’s ruling mandates the ex-minister to furnish a comprehensive list of all beneficiaries, including their bank particulars, who received the N5,000 disbursed monthly over a six-month period.

The judgment, delivered in June and made available by the court on Friday, stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), as stated by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, in a statement on Sunday. Oludare clarified that Umar-Farouk had initially contested the suit with a preliminary objection, which the court dismissed.

Justice Dipeolu, in his ruling, emphasized that “The former minister is obligated under the Freedom of Information Act to provide information to any person, including SERAP.” Consequently, he issued a mandamus order compelling the minister to disclose the expenditure details of the N729 billion allocated to the beneficiaries, along with specifics on selection criteria and payment mechanisms.

The court’s decision underscores the transparency demanded in public spending and accountability in welfare programs aimed at assisting vulnerable populations.