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A group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Dino Melaye and other senators to refund N13.5 million monthly allowances they had received.
It described the allowances and other pecks as illegal and unconstitutional, saying each senator should be made to refund N13.5 monthly allowance with interest, and to stop the lawmakers from receiving such unjustified allowances.
SERAP is also asking the court to order an investigation by the appropriate agencies, as to how the funds were spent and for the findings of any such investigation to be made public.
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In Suit Number: FHC/L/CS/630/18 filed yesterday, SERAP argued that the senators’ defence that the amount was contained in the Appropriations Act with different headings such as medicals, travelling, among others, made no sense.
This is because the schedule of the Remuneration Act clearly makes provision for medicals, travelling and others, stating that the argument that the running cost was for such had no legal backing.
Joined as defendants in the suit, are Saraki and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
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In the suit filed on its behalf by Bamisope Adeyanju, SERAP is seeking a declaration that the N13.5 million allotted to each senator per month as running cost aside their salaries and allowances was in breach of the provisions of section 70 of the 1999 Constitution 1999 and the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders Act.
The group further sought an order directing the defendants to stop allotting N13.5 million to each senator monthly as running cost, insisting it was illegal and unconstitutional.
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