SERAP sues Lawan, Gbajabiamila for refusal ‘to publish details of corruption probes’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to court over failure to publish reports of all completed public hearings and corruption probes by the National Assembly since 1999.
It also sued the duo for failure to disclose the number of probes that have resulted in any indictment of suspects, and to name such suspects.
The suit followed recent public hearings by the National Assembly on corruption allegations in ministries, departments and agencies, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). Reports of several public hearings and corruption probes have remained secret, and the allegations unresolved.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1065/2020 filed last week at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Dr Lawal and Mr Gbajabiamila to send all reports of completed public hearings and corruption probes to appropriate anti-corruption agencies to consider if there is sufficient admissible evidence to pursue prosecution.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order for leave to apply for judicial review and an order of mandamus to direct and/or compel Dr Lawal and Mr Gbajabiamila to widely publish all reports of completed public hearings and corruption probes by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and to disclose the number and names of any indicted suspects since 1999.”
The suit followed SERAP’s Freedom of Information (FoI) requests dated July 25, 2020, stating that: “The most effective way to deter corruption is to make the cost of engaging in these types of acts higher than the rewards. This end can only be accomplished by making public the reports and pursuing public accountability for corrupt acts.”