The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari “over his failure to probe allegations that over N1.48 trillion reportedly spent on maintaining the country’s four refineries between 2015 and 2020 may have been stolen, mismanaged, or diverted into private pockets.”
According to SERAP, the government reportedly spent N10.23 billion in June 2020 on three refineries that processed zero crudes.
Also in 2021, the government approved $1.5 billion (about N600 billion) to repair the Port Harcourt refinery. Despite the huge spending, the refineries are still not working while fuel scarcity persists.
SERAP, in the suit number FHC/L/CS/806/2022 filed last week at the Federal High Court, Lagos, is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Buhari to investigate the spending on Nigeria’s refineries, and alleged mismanagement of public funds budgeted for maintaining the refineries since 1999.”
The activist group is also seeking “an order of mandamus to compel Buhari to ensure the prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for the importation and distribution of dirty fuel into Nigeria, and to identify and ensure access to justice and effective remedies to affected victims.”
