Court Orders Explanation of N729 Billion Disbursement for Poverty Alleviation

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has instructed former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Sadia Umar-Farouk, to furnish details on the disbursement of N729 billion allocated to 24.3 million indigent Nigerians. The court mandated the ex-minister to provide a comprehensive list of beneficiaries, including their bank particulars, who received the monthly N5,000 stipend over six months.

The ruling, delivered in June and made available by the court on Friday, followed a suit filed by the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), marked FHC/L/CS/853/2021. Despite Umar-Farouk’s preliminary objection, the court dismissed it.

In his judgment, Justice Dipeolu cited the Freedom of Information Act, compelling the former minister to disclose expenditure details to SERAP. The court’s order includes disclosing the criteria for beneficiary selection and the payment mechanism for the stipends.

Reacting to the ruling, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, hailed the judgment as a victory for transparency and accountability in public spending. He emphasized the need for the government to address systemic corruption allegations in various ministries and agencies.

SERAP urged prompt compliance with the court order by the government, emphasizing that adherence would bolster the rule of law and enhance governance transparency in managing public funds.