SERAP urges Buhari to probe ‘missing N11tr’ electricity fund

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the relevant anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate how over N11 trillion meant to provide regular electricity supply had allegedly been squandered by governments since 1999.

It also pleaded with the Nigerian leader to refer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) all unimplemented reports of corruption in the electricity sector and prosecute offenders

The appeal followed the regular collapse of the national grid.

In the letter, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, at the weekend, the organisation said: “Nigerians have for far too long been denied justice and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector – staying in darkness – but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.

“The staggering amounts of public funds alleged to have been stolen over the years in the electricity sector have had catastrophic effects on the lives of millions of Nigerians, akin to crimes against humanity and the Nigerian people.”

It noted that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adjudged that the failure of the state to provide basic services such as electricity was a violation of the right to health.

SERAP, therefore, pleaded with Buhari to immediately honour the judgment of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor in suit number, FHC/L/CS/105/19, which ordered: “your government to immediately publish the names of companies and the whereabouts of the contractors paid by governments since 1999 to carry out electricity projects across the country, but disappeared with the money without executing any project.”

The enforcement of the judgment, it said, could “reveal individuals, contractors and companies allegedly responsible for squandering over N11 trillion meant to provide regular electricity supply under successive governments, lead to the prosecution of suspected perpetrators and recovery of any missing public fund.”