The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has reacted to last Friday’s judgment of the Federal High court in Lagos, which ordered the immediate release of details of payments to all defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and companies by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement by its deputy director, Mr. Kolawole Oluware, SERAP says, “we welcome the ground-breaking judgment by Justice Obiozor as a victory for transparency and accountability of public officials, electrical contractors and companies and their shareholders. It is an extremely important step toward tackling the impunity in the electricity sector, which has for many years forced ordinary Nigerians to stay in darkness, but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.”
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The statement further provides the details as ordered by the court to be disclosed and widely published on a dedicated website to include information on: specific names and details about contractors and companies paid by each government, the total amounts paid by each government and the objects for the payments, the level of implementation of electricity projects, as well as details and specific locations of projects executed across the country by each government since 1999.
SERAP, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the court.
Below is a full statement by SERAP.
