The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given President Bola Tinubu seven days to direct appropriate ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to provide copies of the loan agreements obtained by the governments of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari failing which it said it will drag the president to court.
SERAP is also seeking the spending details of any such loans as well as the interests and other payments so far made on the loans.
SERAP also urges Tinubu to establish an independent audit on the spending of the loans obtained by the governments of the former presidents, and to make public the findings of any such audit.
In the Freedom of Information request dated April 13, 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Publishing copies of the agreements would prevent and combat waste, corruption, mismanagement, and abuse in the spending of public funds.”
SERAP said, “No one should be able to pull curtains of secrecy around decisions on the spending of public funds which can be revealed without injury to the public interest. Democracy requires accountability and accountability requires transparency.”
According to SERAP, “Nigerians are entitled to information about what their government is doing in their name. This is part of their right to information.”
The FoI request also reads in part: “Nigerians’ right to a democratic governance allows them to appreciably influence the direction of government, and have an opportunity to assess progress and assign blame.