….SERAP Initiates Lawsuit Demanding NNPC Disclosure
In a recent legal development, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has launched legal proceedings against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The lawsuit, filed with reference number FHC/ABJ/CS/1719/2023 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenges the NNPC’s failure to disclose crucial details about Nigeria’s daily oil production and revenues generated since the removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023.
SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, emphasized the public’s right to know the specific amounts of oil produced and exported daily, as well as the revenues generated and remitted to the public treasury. The legal action seeks to compel the NNPC to reveal how much of the generated revenues have been remitted to the public treasury since the subsidy removal.
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has accused the NNPC of inadequate remittance of foreign exchange into the treasury despite the subsidy removal. SERAP argues that transparency is vital in preventing the diversion of revenues from Nigeria’s oil production and exports into private hands.
The group asserts that enforcing disclosure from the NNPC would enhance transparency and accountability within the oil sector, ultimately bolstering public confidence.
SERAP contends that the lack of information disclosure by the NNPC constitutes a serious violation of the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
As of now, no hearing date has been scheduled for the lawsuit, but SERAP remains committed to advocating for transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s oil industry.
