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Tag: SERAP

  • SERAP asks Saraki to return collected pension to Kwara’s treasury

    RIGHTS group Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President Bukola Saraki to refund emoluments received as former governor to Kwara State’s public treasury.

    Alternatively, the group asked Saraki to donate the pensions and allowances collected to charities of his choice.

    The organisation advised the Senate president to initiate the process of such refund to the treasury by putting pressure on Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the state House of Assembly to abolish the law that facilitated the payment of the pensions in the first place.

    In a statement issued yesterday, SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni said the organisation welcomed Saraki’s decision to stop receiving pensions from Kwara State, where he was the governor between 2003 and 2011.

    It urged him to join the campaign to end the practice of providing life pensions to former governors and to abolish laws that make this possible.

    Saraki had told a forum in Abuja on Tuesday that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension “the moment I saw that SERAP allegation”.

    He said: “No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.”

    The organisation, in its reaction to the development, said: “It’s good news that Dr. Saraki has publicly made known that he has stopped drawing pensions from Kwara State.

    “We hope that other public officials still receiving double emoluments will follow Dr. Saraki’s example and renounce such practice.”

    SERAP, therefore, asked the Senate President to use his leadership position to facilitate a resolution by the National Assembly condemning the practice and laws on double pay and life pensions for former governors now serving public officials as well as urge state assemblies to abolish such laws.

  • N40bn double pay: SERAP asks Saraki to return pension to state treasury

    N40bn double pay: SERAP asks Saraki to return pension to state treasury

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has also urged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to publicly donate to charities of his choice all pensions and allowances collected from the Kwara state government.

    Alternatively, the organisation urged him to refund such emoluments received as former governor of the state to public treasury.

    The organization also asked the Senate President to initiate the process of such refund to the treasury by putting pressure on the governor of Kwara state Mr Abdulfatah Ahmed and the state house of assembly to move swiftly to abolish the law that has facilitated the payment of the unjust pensions in the first place.

    In a statement issued yesterday, SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said the organization welcomed  Saraki’s decision to stop receiving pensions from Kwara state, where he was the governor between 2003 and 2011.

    It urged him to join the campaign to end the unjust, unfair and discriminatory practice of providing life pensions to former governors and to abolish laws that make this possible.

    Saraki had told a forum in Abuja on Tuesday, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension “the moment I saw that SERAP allegation.”

    He said, “No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.”

    The organization, in its reaction to the development said; “It’s good news that Dr Saraki has publicly made known that he has stopped drawing pensions from Kwara state.

    “We hope that other public officials still receiving double emoluments will follow Dr Saraki’s example and renounce such practice.

    “We also urge the Senate President to publicly commit to donating to charities of his choice all pensions and allowances he has so far collected or to such emoluments to the public treasury.”

    SERAP therefore asked the Senate President to use his leadership position to urgently facilitate a resolution by the National Assembly condemning the practice and laws on double pay and life pensions for former governors now serving public officials; urging state assemblies to abolish such laws; and calling on those that have received such emoluments to return them to the public treasury.

    SERAP urged him to work with the organization to put meaningful pressure on other states to abolish their unfair and discriminatory life pension’s laws as well as on serving senators and ministers who continue to receive double emoluments to end the practice and return all the emoluments they have so far received to the public treasury.

    It would be recalled that SERAP had last week in an open letter called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to within seven dayschallenge the legality of states’ laws allowing former governors to draw life pensions from their states.

    The letter dated  July 14, 2017 read in part: “Public interest is not well served when government officials such as former governors, deputies supplement their emoluments in their current positions with life pensions and emoluments drawn from their states’ meagre resources, and thereby prioritising their private or personal interests over and above the greatest happiness of the greatest number.”

    “By signing such double emoluments and large benefits laws which they knew or ought to know that they would be beneficiaries, these former governors have abused their entrusted public functions and positions, and thereby obtained an undue advantage, contrary to article 19 of the UN Convention against Corruption.

    “These states’ laws allowing former governors to receive life pensions either now or in the future have a discriminatory purpose that involves intent to discriminate against ordinary workers and pensioners. Such laws enhance the economic status of public officials and their families at the expense of the citizens that they are elected to serve, have no legitimacy at all, and cannot be justified either on legal or moral grounds.

    “SERAP is concerned that such laws have either the purpose or the effect of denying the citizens their right to the enjoyment of their commonwealth, and as such, prolonging the existing and entrenched poverty-gaps across the country. The implementation of these laws will continue to lock the citizens, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable groups, into lives of deprivation and hopelessness.

    “SERAP holds the firm view that there are clear casual and consequential links between implementation of unfair life pensions’ laws for former governors and violation of human dignity of citizens. Such laws deprive citizens of resources, capabilities, freedoms and choices necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and sustainable livelihood.

    “The abolition of such laws therefore is a necessary first step towards delivering on the constitutional promise of equal protection and equal benefit of the law for a distressingly large number of Nigerians. Otherwise, public officials will remain seriously out of touch with a major source of poverty and discrimination in the country,” it added.

     

  • SERAP seeks prosecution of public officers on double pay

    SERAP seeks prosecution of public officers on double pay

    A rights group, Social-Economic Right and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged the Federal Government to prosecute indicted former governors, senators and ministers, who are receiving double pay and pension.

    SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, in a statement yesterday, urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami to recover the over N40 billion the affected public officers accumulated within seven days after acknowledging the receipt of its letter.

    The group considered the action of the former governors and minister exploitative, noting that it would institute legal proceeding to compel compliance with Nigeria’s international anti-corruption commitment.

    Mumuni said: “SERAP is concerned that several serving senators and ministers are receiving salaries and life pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries.

    “Public office is a public trust, and as such, citizens depend upon their governors, senators and ministers to act in the public interest, not for their own or another’s profit or benefit.

    “Under the UN Convention against corruption to which Nigeria is a state party, it is forbidden for any public official to engage in self-dealing, and place him/herself in a position of conflicting interests, and to hold incompatible functions or illicitly engage in providing to him/herself emoluments deemed unacceptable under international law. This is a clear case of the former governors placing their private or personal interests over and above their entrusted public functions, and unduly influencing the level of benefits they receive.”

  • CCT judge queries use of public funds to buy vehicles for politicians

    CCT judge queries use of public funds to buy vehicles for politicians

    Hon. Justice Agwadza William Atedze of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has queried the use of public funds to buy vehicles for politicians.

    He therefore and counselled Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to research the issues “to see how best we can reconcile our social and cultural values viz-a-viz the entire war against corruption and advise our policymakers accordingly.”

    Justice Atedze said this Thursday at the launch of SERAP’s latest report titled Combating Grand Corruption and Impunity in Nigeria: An Agenda for Institutional Reforms in Anti-Corruption Strategies.

    The report is published under a project to promote justice sector and anti-corruption oversight mechanism reform, which SERAP is undertaking in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USA.

    Mr. Dauda Joki-Lasisi, Head of Procurement and Fraud Section of the EFCC who represented the agency at the report launch said that, “the fight against corruption can be likened to an allegory of a giant in the midst of ants, as little as an ant is, it may not be able to wear the trouser of a giant, but will remove it.”

    The Head of ICPC Lagos Office Mr. Olufemi Nofiu; and Mr. T. Collins who represented the Chairman of the CCB, Mr. Sam Saba echoed similar sentiments, promising to “do anything and everything within their powers to curb corruption in the country in its entirety.”

    Chairman of the report launch Barrister Babatunde Ogala said that, “Corruption is simply a way of life for us all, it is deep, when you steal as a religious institution, you are as corrupt as any Nigerian. In my opinion, corruption is both cultural and religious, corruption is as big as this country, the way of curbing it is by changing our national orientation.”

    Barrister Ogala, who was former Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary, also said that, “The EFCC ought to have offices even at the local government level. The society itself encourages and invests in corruption. As a legislator, I was constantly measured by what I did for individuals and not by the amount of law making I engaged in.”

    All the anti-graft agencies present at the event renewed their commitment to work even harder to end the problem of grand corruption in the country, and end its devastating consequences.

    They include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

    The report contains several recommendations among which is the call to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon Justice Walter Onnoghen, to “ensure that all judges fully utilise the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in the hearing of grand corruption cases before them.”

    Among other key recommendations, the report urges Justice Onnoghen to “ensure that judges, in situations where the ACJA rules apply, are made to follow the dictates of these innovative statutory interventions or face disciplinary action, and to incorporate into ongoing judicial trainings these crucial statutes and procedures as well as include the ACJA as part of the mandatory continuing legal education for all judges in Nigeria.”

    The report also recommends that “The Chief Justice and all other judges should also periodically disclose and publish their assets. The Chief Justice should promote full independence for the National Judicial Council including by allowing retired judges of proven integrity to lead the council.”

    Executive summary of the report read in part: “Corruption is a threat to democracy. It erodes confidence in and respect for democratic institutions and emerges as an obstacle to social, economic and human development. The fight against corruption is therefore crucial to achieve economic development and stability.”

    “Anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria generally have not met widespread expectations mainly because of lack of political will of those in government to fight grand corruption; absence of an over-all national anti-graft strategy; inadequate legal framework and resources and/or lack of full and effective implementation of new initiatives; limited independence and public trust; lack of an enabling climate and necessary know-how, and lack of basic ethical values.”

    “Anti-graft agencies should seek stiffer penalties for convicted corrupt officials and minimise the use of plea bargaining, to serve as deterrence; and the judiciary at all levels should assume leadership in this regard.”

    “The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo should instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN to urgently ensure the full and effective implementation and enforcement of the Practice Directions on Serious Crimes, 2013, and the ACJA Act 2015 in all courts and tribunals handling cases of grand corruption to ensure that stalling of prosecution by defence lawyers becomes history.”

    “The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo should reform the anti-graft agencies in Nigeria with a view to granting them independence, freedom of action and adequate resources, so that they can carry out their mandates effectively.”

    “The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo should instruct anti-corruption agencies to urgently publish reports of their investigations into the allegations of budget padding by the leadership of the National Assembly and to prosecute anyone suspected to be involved in grand corruption. President Buhari and Acting President Osinbajo should also ensure adequate protection for the Whistle-blower Abdulmumin Jibrin.”

    “The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo should prioritise and give sufficient political and operational attention to the coordination of anti-corruption efforts, with coordination issues considered from the design stage of anti-corruption policy making, as many coordination efforts in the operations of anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria have failed because of their original design flaws.”

    “The EFCC and ICPC should urgently come up with strategies for prioritising corruption cases within states and local government levels. Corruption should not only be fought at the Federal level but also at the state and local government levels.”

    “The EFCC and ICPC should intensify processes to investigate and effectively prosecute state officials involved in diverting bailout funds meant for payment of salaries and pensions but which the ICPC has disclosed have been diverted. The ICPC should publish the bailout report and name and shame all of those suspected to be involved.”

     

  • SERAP to Osinbajo: Reject wasteful spendings by NASS

    SERAP to Osinbajo: Reject wasteful spendings by NASS

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to put pressure on the leadership of the National Assembly to cut its proposed budget for 2017.

    It described the proposed spending of NASS on the number of expensive official vehicles, legislative aides, travels and transportation, souvenirs, and photocopiers as “wasteful and unnecessary “.

    The organisation urged the acting President to “assent to the budget only if it truly reflects national development priorities, and not serve as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of our lawmakers.

    “To allow public funds to be spent as proposed by the National Assembly would disproportionately affect the socially and economically vulnerable and push them deeper into poverty and deprivation”, it stated.

    It said in its letter dated May 15, 2017, and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni and addressed to the acting President, “In a country where many of our general hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment, and at a time public funds are needed to improve these facilities, it is retrogressive to spend these funds to provide exotic cars for our lawmakers or fund needless travels.

    “Such funds ought to be meaningfully spent to provide clean water, build classrooms, provide materials, train teachers and pay outstanding workers’ salaries.”

    SERAP in the letter copied to Professor Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights stated further, “the more public funds that are spent to buy expensive vehicles for our lawmakers rather than servicing the new vehicles bought last year the less resources that will be available to make sure that Nigerians enjoy the right to an adequate standard of living and the rights to health, housing, food and education.”

    The letter reads in part: “When read together, the obligations under the Covenant to take steps to achieve economic and social rights progressively according to the country’s national resources implicitly forbid spending on such apparently wasteful projects. We are concerned that of the N125 billion proposed by the National Assembly in the 2017 budget, N6.4bn is to purchase official vehicles; N1.6bn to insure the vehicles; N777m to buy photocopiers; N55.623m to buy souvenirs; N807m to fuel generators; N11bn for travels and transportation; N9bn to pay legislative aides, and N750m for medical supplies.

    SERAP believes that the presidency now has the chance to show that the 2017 budget would not prioritise wasteful spending by the National Assembly over and above urgent national development priorities, and the need to improve Nigerians’ access to basic necessities such as interrupted electricity supply, quality education, affordable healthcare, clean water, good roads, as well as pay outstanding workers’ salaries across the country.

    “SERAP urges you and the presidency to require the National Assembly to justify the wave of fresh spending on several of the items purchased last year, and many of which will presumably remain in good condition.

    “SERAP also urges you to persuade the leadership of the National Assembly to henceforth adopt and use human rights budgeting as a tool of tracking Nigeria’s accountability toward economic, social and cultural rights. SERAP believes that a budget is a fundamental government tool for national development priorities and should not be a shopping list to satisfy the taste of high-ranking public officials and parliamentarians.

    “SERAP believes that the proposed spending of public funds by the National Assembly suggests that the leadership does not conceive of national budget as a blueprint for social and economic policy priorities.

    “SERAP believes that by cutting the proposed spending by the National Assembly, the presidency would be working to address and mitigate the negative effects of economic recession and crisis in the country on Nigerians living in poverty in particular and the socially and economically vulnerable in general.

    “SERAP notes that Nigeria is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Covenant guarantees to all Nigerians legally enforceable economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to food, health, and education. The enjoyment of these rights requires a major commitment of resources from key branches of government particularly the executive and legislature for example through the instrumentality of the budget.

    “When interpreted as prescribed by Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the Covenant will impose clear duties on your government to make national budgets comply with realising these economic, social and cultural rights. Therefore, international human rights law requires the government to use the country’s economic resources to fulfil economic, social and cultural rights. Clearly, economic resources of Nigeria are managed by fiscal policies, thus providing a direct link with the national budget.”

    “The lack of enjoyment of these human rights would increase poverty and hunger, which in turn would threaten the right to life and health of many socially and economically vulnerable, including women and children. These groups of people are bearing the brunt and feeling the impacts of the economic crisis on their standards of living, their jobs and their homes,” it added.

  • SERAP to Buhari: clarify ownership of $43m cash

    SERAP to Buhari: clarify ownership of $43m cash

    A GROUP, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to clarify the controversy surrounding the ownership of the N13 billion ($43.4 million, N23 million and £27,000) found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos,

    It asked the President to address the country on the matter to clarify the issue and resolve the “lingering doubts among Nigerians regarding the real owner(s) of the cash”.

    The organisation urged Buhari to ensure legal backing for his government’s whistle-blowing policy at the National Assembly.

    SERAP noted that both Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) last week reportedly claimed ownership of the cash, casting doubts on the “real claimants”.

    In a statement yesterday signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation advised government to ensure that its

    increasing reliance on whistle-blowers’ tips to fight corruption is backed by some level of transparency and accountability to unearth the real identities of those claiming the recovered cash.

    It emphasised that clearing the doubts surrounding the real identities will demonstrate that the President values transparency over secrecy, provide further encouragement to blow the whistle on governmental corruption and enhance the public right to know.

    According to the organisation, “Democracy abhors secrecy and for Nigerians to be able to hold elected leaders accountable, they must have access to information such as on the real identities of those behind the Ikoyi cash haul. This transparency is fundamental to the operation of the government’s whistle-blower policy, and inextricably rooted in the notions of good governance and the rule of law under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).”

    It added: “No good comes from secrecy in governance, as officials who have become accustomed to operating without accountability are loath to relinquish the power that comes from conducting their business without public scrutiny.”

  • SERAP takes Senate to UN over Magu 

    SERAP takes Senate to UN over Magu 

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the  United Nations (UN) over alleged intimidation, harassment and unfair treatment of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu,  by the Senate.

    The petition, which was signed by the Executive Director of SERAP, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, was addressed to Mr Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

    In a copy of the petition made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday, Mumuni accused the Senate of “apparently working with other agencies of government to use a purported security report it knew or ought to know is baseless and politically-motivated to reject Mr Magu’s confirmation as substantive chairman of the EFCC.

    “By relying on a report they knew or ought to know is baseless and politically-motivated to reject Mr Magu’s appointment as chairman of the EFCC, the Senate of Nigeria has flagrantly violated his right to a fair hearing, and is implicitly working to weaken, intimidate, harass and ultimately undermine the independence and freedom of action of the EFCC in its efforts to combat high-profile official corruption,” it said.

    The project, therefore, urged Forst to “urgently intervene in this matter to stop further intimidation and harassment of a prominent anti-corruption campaigner and human rights defender.

    “SERAP believes that the action by the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government apparently working with them undermines and violates Nigeria’s international obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the human rights of the citizens, which inevitably creates a duty for the government to establish efficient and independent anti-corruption mechanisms.

    “Apart from the fact that the allegations against Mr Magu are baseless and politically motivated, the Senate of Nigeria flagrantly denied him constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to a fair hearing by not providing him an opportunity to respond to the allegations against him.”

  • Magu: SERAP drags Senate to UN

    Magu: SERAP drags Senate to UN

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the United Nations (UN) over alleged intimidation, harassment and unfair treatment of EFCC Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, by the Senate.

    The petition, which was signed by the Executive Director of SERAP, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, was addressed to Mr Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

    In a copy of the petition made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, Mumuni accused the Senate of “apparently working with other agencies of government to use a purported security report it knew or ought to know is baseless and politically motivated to reject Mr Magu’s confirmation as substantive chairman of the EFCC.

    “By relying on a report they knew or ought to know is baseless and politically motivated to reject Mr Magu’s appointment as chairman of the EFCC, the Senate of Nigeria has flagrantly violated his right to a fair hearing, and is implicitly working to weaken, intimidate, harass and ultimately undermine the independence and freedom of action of the EFCC in its efforts to combat high-profile official corruption,” it said.

    The project, therefore, urged Forst to “urgently intervene in this matter to stop further intimidation and harassment of a prominent anti-corruption campaigner and human rights defender.

    “SERAP believes that the action by the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government apparently working with them undermines and violates Nigeria’s international obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the human rights of the citizens, which inevitably creates a duty for the government to establish efficient and independent anti-corruption mechanisms.

    “Apart from the fact that the allegations against Mr Magu are baseless and politically motivated, the Senate of Nigeria flagrantly denied him constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to a fair hearing by not providing him an opportunity to respond to the allegations against him.
    “The Senate confirmation hearing therefore amounts to a nullification, or destruction of the very essence of the fundamental principles of fair hearing.

    “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria relying on a baseless and politically motivated report declined to confirm the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the country’s leading anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “The Senate claimed that its action was based on a purported security report forwarded to it by the State Security Service,” the petition read in part.

    SERAP said that it had reviewed the security report, which primarily alleged that sensitive and unauthorised EFCC official documents were found in Magu’s home.

    “However, SERAP is aware that this allegation was part of the conspiracy to harass Magu and frustrate his anti-corruption work, as he was unjustly detained for three weeks.

    “Following investigation by the police authorities in 2008, Magu was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing, and in fact, promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

    “The report also incorrectly stated that Magu currently occupies a residence rented for N40 million at N20 million per anum and paid for by suspected corrupt persons.

    “But SERAP’s finding shows that the property was in fact paid for by the Federal Capital Development Administration,” it said.

    SERAP said it believed that the purported rejection by the Senate of Nigeria of Magu’s appointment as the chairman of EFCC was politically motivated and in bad faith.

    It also said it was prart of a persistent move by the National Assembly of Nigeria including the Senate and the House of Representatives and other agencies of government apparently working with them to undermine the ongoing fight against corruption.

    “SERAP is deeply concerned by intimidation, harassment and politically motivated allegations against one of the most efficient, focused, consistent and hardworking anti-corruption campaigners in our country.

    “These politically motivated allegations are not only to victimize him as the head of EFCC but also to harass, intimidate and frustrate the work of other anti-corruption and human rights campaigners and institutions in the country.

    “SERAP considers Mr Magu to be a human rights defender within the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1998 (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders).

    “SERAP therefore urges you to urgently assert your mandates to put pressure on the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government apparently working with them to end continuing harassment and intimidation of Mr Magu by immediately withdrawing any politically motivated allegations against him.

    “We also urge you to send a strong message to the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government that the campaign of intimidation and harassment against human rights and anti-corruption campaigners is unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.” (NAN)

  • $15m: Patience Jonathan’s group not registered, SERAP tells court

    $15m: Patience Jonathan’s group not registered, SERAP tells court

    A Rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged the Federal High Court to “dismiss” a suit by former first lady Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan’ with substantial cost.”

    Mrs. Jonathan and her group, Union of Niger Delta Youth Organisation for Equity, Justice and Good Governance, had accused SERAP in a suit dated October 6 of “using online, print and electronic media to publish to the public unfounded and malicious allegations that she stole $15 million (U.S.) and ought to be prosecuted.”

    But SERAP, in a preliminary objection dated October 27 and signed by its executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, stated that “Patience Jonathan’s claims cannot be maintained because they are brought on her behalf by a group that is unknown to law.

    “Mrs. Jonathan’s group is not a registered organisation envisaged by law. This very point calls into question the legal capacity to file this suit against SERAP, and the jurisdiction of the court to entertain her suit.”

    When the case came up for hearing before Justice C.M.A Olatoregun on Friday, SERAP was represented by its lawyer Babatunde Ogala, former chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly’s Committee on Judiciary.

    SERAP’s preliminary objections read in part: “Since the process of court has not been used bona fide and properly, it is unnecessary to consider whether or not there is a genuine case on the merits. An abuse of court process is not the specie of sins called an irregularity. It is a much more fundamental vice which is deserving of the punishment of dismissal.”

  • SERAP’s Ikeja office burgled

    SERAP’s Ikeja office burgled

    The office of the of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) at 4, Akintoye Shogunle Street, off John Olugbo Street, off Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja was on Tuesday burgled.

    This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by a senior staff attorney in the organization, Mr. Timothy Adewale.

    The burglars who beat security personnel before gaining entrance into the office, went away with files, some cash and damaged computers and cabinets in the office.

    On completion of their operation, the burglars left behind a note which reads, “Not our target. We will be back”.

    The statement stated in part: “On the night of October 3, 2016, unknown people broke into the offices of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) at Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. The intruders somehow escaped security gates surrounding the street, before gaining access to the office building and cutting open the iron bars protecting the locked office front door.

    “Some of the computers and cabinets were damaged. The intruders broke into the office safe, taking away some petty cash and files.

    “The offices were thoroughly ransacked and a TV screen on the wall at the reception was dropped on the floor. The intruders also dropped a threat note on the table at the reception, which reads “Not our target. We will be back.”

    “The matter has been reported at the Area “F” Police Station, Ikeja, Lagos. The matter is now a subject of police investigation.

    “The staff who resumed early morning on October 4, 2016 took several photos of the incident. We are assessing the situation to find out what else might be missing from the office”, the statement added.

    SERAP is a non-governmental organization dedicated to strengthening the socio-economic welfare of Nigerians by combating corruption and promoting transparency and accountability.

    SERAP received the Wole Soyinka Anti-Corruption Defender Award in 2014.

    It has also been nominated for the UN Civil Society Award and Ford Foundation’s Jubilee Transparency Award.

    SERAP serves as one of two Sub-Saharan African civil society representatives on the UNCAC Coalition, a global anti-corruption network of over 310 civil society organizations (CSOs) in over 100 countries.