Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to effectively enforce the judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor ordering the immediate release of details of payments to all defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and companies since 1999.<\/p>\n
Justice Obiozor, a Professor of Law, sitting at the Federal High Court, Lagos, had in July delivered a judgment in a Freedom of Information suit number FHC\/L\/CS\/105\/19, brought by SERAP, ordering the Federal Government to disclose and publish the names of companies and the whereabouts of the contractors paid by successive governments to carry out electricity projects but disappeared with the money without executing any projects.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the open letter dated 13 September 2019 and signed by SERAP\u2019s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: \u201cThe enforcement of this judgment will be a special moment for the government\u2019s antic corruption agenda and the sovereignty of rule of law, as it would go a long way in protecting the integrity of our legal system. We urge you to make best efforts to advise and persuade President Buhari and Mr Sale Mamman, Minister of Power to begin to take steps that will ensure the full enforcement of this ground-breaking judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n
SERAP said: \u201cAdvising and persuading Mr Buhari and Mr Mamman to enforce the judgment against corrupt contractors and companies would show your commitment to the rule of law, and contribute to addressing the culture and legacy of corruption in the power sector. It will show that you are not just Mr Buhari\u2019s lawyer but also a defender of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), the rule of law and public interest within the government, something which Justice Obiozor\u2019s judgment seeks to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter read in part: \u201cIt is emphatically the province and constitutional duty of the Attorney General to advise on the enforcement of judicial decisions. It is important to do so here if power sector contractors and companies are not to continue to evade justice for their alleged corruption.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking action as recommended would be in keeping with Nigerians\u2019 expectations, and entirely consistent with Buhari\u2019s oft-expressed commitment to \u2018kill\u2019 corruption\u2013whether by public officials or private contractors\u2014and help to build citizens\u2019 trust and confidence in the ability of this government to take head-on the systemic corruption in the power sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur democracy needs courts so that public officials and private actors including contractors can be held accountable for any infraction of Nigerian anti-corruption laws and international commitments. Constitutionalism and the rule of law are not in conflict with democracy; rather, they are essential to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope that the aspects highlighted will help guide your actions in advising and persuading Mr Buhari and Mr Mamman to enforce and implement Justice Obiozor\u2019s judgment. We would be happy to provide further information or to discuss any of these issues in more detail with you.<\/p>\n
\u201cA certified true copy of the judgment is enclosed with this letter for your attention and urgent action.\u201d<\/p>\n
It would be called that SERAP had in February filed the FoI suit against the Federal Government and former Minister of Power Mr Babatunde Fashola. The former minister then responded, saying that: \u201cthe Ministry has searched for the requested information on details of alleged contractors and companies but we could not find it from our records.\u201d<\/p>\n
SERAP said: \u201cDuring the 20 years of Nigeria\u2019s democracy successive governments have failed to increase power generation and provide Nigerians with regular and uninterrupted electricity supply, with many electricity contracts shrouded in secrecy, and trillions of Naira going down the drain.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrdinary Nigerians have continued to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector, as the country has remained in darkness despite huge investment in the power sector by successive governments.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to effectively enforce the judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor ordering the immediate release of details of payments to all defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and companies since […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":15477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[97,508,822,641],"class_list":["post-15475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-buhari","tag-electricity","tag-nigerian-government","tag-serap"],"yoast_head":"\n