Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a call to action, urging all 36 state governors in Nigeria to disclose comprehensive details regarding the expenditure of the N2 billion palliative funds recently disbursed to each state by the Federal Government.
This request includes the names of beneficiaries and a breakdown of the relief measures that have been provided thus far using the funds.
The disbursement of N2 billion, part of the N5 billion palliative package allocated to each state and the federal capital territory (FCT) to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal, has prompted SERAP to advocate for transparency and accountability.
In an open letter dated September 9, 2023, and signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization emphasized the public interest in revealing how these funds are being utilized and noted that transparency is a legally enforceable human right.
SERAP argues that transparency and accountability in the allocation and disbursement of the N2 billion palliative funds can help prevent corruption, mismanagement, diversion, or misuse of these public resources.
The letter further states that if the recommended measures are not implemented within seven days of receipt or publication of the letter, SERAP will take legal action to ensure compliance with its request in the public interest.
According to SERAP, the oversight facilitated by public access to the details of how the N2 billion palliative funds are spent is vital to ensuring responsible governance and preventing abuses of public trust.
SERAP notes that the removal of fuel subsidy has disproportionately affected vulnerable and economically disadvantaged Nigerians in several states, thereby impacting their right to an adequate standard of living.
The organization cites various legal frameworks, including the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and international agreements, that guarantee citizens’ right to access information about government expenditures, including the utilization of the N2 billion fuel subsidy relief funds.
SERAP also urges governors to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) in tracking and monitoring the spending of the N2 billion fuel subsidy palliative and any subsequent disbursement of public funds within their respective states.