The refineries promised Nigerians by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is yet to come to fruition as a group known as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP, has deemed it fit to file a lawsuit against the President for allegedly diverting the funds meant for the project.
SERAP claimed that about ₦1.48 trillion that was set aside for the repairs of Nigeria’s fuel processing base hasn’t yielded any results, with allegations that the money has been diverted into something else.
It was gathered that the move to take the President to court was initiated on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo, at the Lagos Federal High Court.
It was alleged that the present administration had expended ₦10.23 billion in June 2020 on three refineries that processed zero crude up to date.
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.
In the suit, SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to investigate the spending on Nigeria’s refineries, and alleged mismanagement of public funds budgeted for maintaining the refineries since 1999.”
SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to compel President 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.