A prominent civil society organization, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has taken legal action before the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to restrain the National Assembly from utilizing N40 billion to purchase 465 luxury and bulletproof vehicles for its members and principal officers. SERAP also challenges the allocation of N70 billion as ‘palliatives’ purportedly for new members.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In its legal filing, SERAP requests a court order, specifically a writ of mandamus, to compel Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to review and curtail the N40 billion budget earmarked for acquiring SUVs and bulletproof cars for legislators and officials. This request is contingent upon conducting an assessment of the socio-economic repercussions of such expenditure on the nation’s 137 million impoverished citizens….CONTINUIE READING

Additionally, the organization seeks a court injunction to prohibit Akpabio and Abbas from receiving or demanding the allocated N40 billion designated for the vehicle purchases.

SERAP further seeks a writ of mandamus to obligate Akpabio and Abbas to amend the Supplementary Appropriation Act of 2022, thereby reducing the National Assembly budget by N110 billion to reflect the prevailing economic realities in the country.

In an accompanying affidavit, SERAP underscores the citizens’ entitlement to honest and dutiful performance by public officials, including lawmakers, asserting that these officials are bound by fiduciary responsibilities toward the general populace.

SERAP contends that the failure to grant the requested remedies would enable lawmakers to proceed with the N110 billion expenditure, thereby perpetuating evident conflicts of interest and self-serving conduct within the National Assembly.

The organization asserts that the arbitrary increase of the budget by members of the National Assembly constitutes a fundamental breach of their fiduciary obligations, emphasizing that these funds should be judiciously utilized in accordance with the Public Procurement Act of 2007.

Furthermore, SERAP deems it a significant violation of public trust and constitutional oaths for legislators to augment their budget while a significant portion of the population, over 137 million poor Nigerians, grapple with extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies.

In contrast to their expected role of advancing public welfare through legislative efforts, the lawmakers, as argued by SERAP, appear to be prioritizing personal interests over the well-being of the millions of impoverished Nigerians affected by the fuel subsidy removal.