Page 11 - DMEA Week 20 2022

DMEA POLICY & SECURITY DMEA

SERAP sues Buhari in a bid to force

investigation of refinery funding

AFRICA THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accounta- Under these circumstances, the NGO asked
bility Project (SERAP), a Nigerian non-gov- the court to issue an order of mandamus com-
ernmental organisation (NGO), has taken legal pelling Buhari to investigate the spending of
action against two high-ranking officials for NGN1.48 trillion on the four refineries between
their alleged failure to investigate charges that 2015 and 2020, as well as alleged mismanage-
funding allocated to government-owned refin- ment of public funding for the operation and
eries had been stolen, diverted into private hands maintenance of the plants since 1999.
or otherwise mismanaged. The NGO filed suit in Additionally, it requested a second order of
the Federal High Court in Lagos last week, This mandamus under which the president would be
Day reported on May 16. required to prosecute any individual suspected
In their petition, SERAP claimed that Presi- of responsibility for importation and distribu-
dent Muhammadu Buhari and Justice Minister tion of contaminated petroleum products in
Abubakar Malami, who also serves as Nigeria’s Nigeria and to identify and ensure access to legal
attorney general, had not looked into reports remedies for those affected by such incidents.
that more than NGN1.48 trillion ($3.56bn) SERAP said in its petition that it saw the law-
worth of state funds designated for use at the suit as a necessity. “Combating the corruption
four oil-processing plants owned by Nigerian epidemic in the oil sector would alleviate pov-
National Petroleum Co. Ltd (NNPC Ltd) had erty, improve access of Nigerians to basic public
gone missing between 2015 and 2020. goods and services, and enhance the ability of
This sum includes funding for maintenance the government to meet its human rights and
and repair work as well as regular operating anti-corruption obligations,” it commented.
expenses, the NGO said in documents filed in “Despite the country’s enormous oil wealth,
the Federal High Court in Lagos. ordinary Nigerians have derived very little ben-
SEPAR noted in its petition that NNPC’s four efit from their own natural wealth and resources,
refineries have remained idle for years despite primarily because of widespread grand corrup-
the Nigerian federal government’s practice of tion and the impunity of perpetrators.”
providing ample funding. It said the country NNPC Ltd controls four oil-processing
had suffered as a result, as the state’s generosity plants: one in Warri, one in Kaduna and two in
had not succeeded in bringing the facilities back Port Harcourt.
on stream to eliminate Nigeria’s dependence on Altogether, these four plants have a through-
imported fuels. put capacity of 445,000 barrels per day (bpd).™

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