Ex-finance minister ordered to account for N30tn by court

Following a Freedom of Information suit number FHC/L/CS/196/2015 brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) a Federal High Court has ordered Dr.

According to a report by Vanguard Newspaper, the High Court sitting in Lagos ordered Okonjo-Iweala and the Federal Government under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to provide the information as requested by SERAP.

The judgment, delivered by Hon Justice Ibrahim Buba, was instituted in 2015 after revelations by the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Charles Soludo, alleged that at least N30 trillion “has either been stolen or unaccounted for, or grossly mismanaged over the last few years under the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s watch.”

In his judgement, Justice Buba said the former minister and the Federal Government have no legally justifiable reason for refusing to provide SERAP with the information requested for.

Granting SERAP’s prayers as applied, Okonjo-Iweala has been ordered to either supply the information requested by SERAP or communicate her denial within 7 days of receipt of the letter from SERAP if she considers that the request should be denied.