Court Orders Ex Humanitarian Minister To Account For Payments Of ₦29BN To 24.3Million Poor Nigerians

Court Orders Ex Humanitarian Minister To Account For Payments Of ₦29BN To 24.3Million Poor Nigerians

The Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos has ordered a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, to account for payments of Seven Hundred and Twenty-Nine billion Naira to Twenty-Four point Three Million poor Nigerians for six Months.

Delivering the judgement, Justice Deinde Dipeolu, held that the former Minister is compelled by the provisions of the freedom of Information Act to give information to any person.

Justice Dipeolu therefore ordered the Minister to provide the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP who sponsored the suit, with details of how the beneficiaries have been selected and the mechanisms for the payments to the beneficiaries.

The Judge also ordered the Minister to explain the rationale behind paying Five Thousand Naira to Twenty-Four point Three million poor Nigerians, which translates to five percent of Nigeria’s budget of Thirteen point Six Trillion for 2021.