Court orders FG and Okonjo Iweala to account for missing N30trillion.

 

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Federal Government to “provide information on the spending of the alleged missing N30 trillion which represents some accruable income to the Federal Government during the last four years of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.” The judgment was delivered last week by Hon Justice Ibrahim Buba following a Freedom of Information suit number FHC/L/CS/196/2015 brought by the
 Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

 SERAP’s suit followed the claim by the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Charles Soludo, that at least N30 trillion “has either been stolen or unaccounted for, or grossly mismanaged over the last few years under the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s watch.” . . Justice Buba said in the judgment,

“Mrs Okonjo-Iweala and the Federal Government have no legally justifiable reason for refusing to provide SERAP with the information requested for. The Court has gone through the application and agrees that SERAP’s application has merits and the argument is not opposed. SERAP’s application is granted as prayed.”

The Court agreed with the arguments by SERAP’s deputy director, Olukayode Majekodunmi, that Mrs Okonjo- Iweala and the Federal Government “should have either supplied the information requested by SERAP or communicate her denial within seven days of receipt of the letter from SERAP if she considers that the request should be denied.”