Afriaca Press-Nigeria:
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court, Abuja, to compel governors to use funds budgeted for security votes, and life pensions for ex-governors to fund the COVID-19 fight.
Demanding that the money be expended on healthcare facilities, SERAP also wants publication of details of spending on COVID-19 in all states.
The body, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/757/2020, is seeking a declaration that the failure of the governors to respond satisfactorily amount to a fundamental breach of the FoI Act, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
SERAP suit followed Freedom of Information (FoI) requests dated 25 April 2020, expressing concern that “governors are spending scarce state resources to pay themselves security votes and their predecessors life pensions rather than using public funds to effectively respond to COVID-19 by investing in and improving public healthcare facilities in their states.”
SERAP revealed that only two governors – Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara), responded to its FoI requests.
The rights group quoted El-Rufai as saying that: “The FoI is binding only on the Federal Government and its agencies, the Federal Capital Territory, and the states that choose to domesticate it. We are therefore not bound to respond to your request using the threat of an FoI Act that is inapplicable in our State.”
“Should you choose to rephrase your request as a citizen or voter in Kaduna, to whom we are accountable under OGP commitments, I will direct the relevant departments of government to respond. Our version of FoI is with the State House of Assembly for domestication.”
