Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, over what it described as unlawful plan to spend N40 billion on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, and N70 billion as ‘palliatives’ for new members.
The suit came on the heels of a statement by Akpabio that the Clerk of the National Assembly had sent holiday allowances into various bank accounts of senators, “while some Nigerians are faced with extreme poverty.”
In the suit, number FHC/L/CS/1606/2023, filed last Friday, SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio and Abbas to review and reduce the costs.
The organisation is seeking an order restraining Akpabio and Abbas from demanding or receiving the money until an assessment of the socio-economic impact of the spending on 137 million poor Nigerians is carried out in public interest.
SERAP is also seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio and Abbas to repeal the Supplementary Appropriation Act 2022 to reduce the budget for the National Assembly by N110 billion to reflect current economic realities in the country.
It said: “Unless the reliefs sought are granted, the lawmakers will spend the N110 billion, and the travesty and apparent conflicts of interest and self-dealing by members of the National Assembly would continue.
“It is a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to arbitrarily increase their own budget and to use the budget as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers.”
According to the body, “while N70 billion ‘support allowance’ is budgeted for 306 new lawmakers, only N500 billion worth of palliatives is budgeted for 12 million poor Nigerians. N40 billion is also allocated to buy 465 SUVs and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.”
In the suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Blessing Ogwuche, the organisation said: “The plan to spend N110 billion is a fundamental breach of constitutional and international human rights obligations.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
