SERAP tells Tinubu to probe missing $2.1bn and N3.1 trillion subsidy payments or face legal action
Written by Joey Shekwonuzhibo on June 5, 2023
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, is urging President Bola Tinubu to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the allegations that US$2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion public funds of oil revenues budgeted as fuel subsidy payments are missing and unaccounted for between 2016 and 2019, as documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
SERAP is urging Tinubu to name and shame anyone suspected to be responsible for the alleged widespread and systemic corruption in the use of oil revenues and the management of public funds budgeted as fuel subsidy.
The body is further asking him to ensure their effective prosecution as well as the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.
In the letter dated 3rd June 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation says there is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations.
With the Nigerian Labour Congress threatening to embark on strike over fuel subsidy removal, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN, employees of shipping companies in all ports formations today began an indefinite strike over poor wages and alleged dehumanizing working conditions.
The industrial action is also taking place across all dry ports, jetties, terminals among others.
It was gathered that Dockworkers, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, workers and Seamen/Nigerian Inland Water Ways, NIWA and Water Transportation employees would join from tomorrow in solidarity should the shipping companies fail to address the workers’ grievances.
At the strategic meeting of leaders of MWUN and officials of the Shipping branch of MWUN including plant officials of each shipping company, it was agreed that irrespective of the meeting called by NSC, operations of all shipping companies must be shut from today until further notice.
This comes as the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, summoned a stakeholders’ meeting today in a desperate attempt to resolve the matter and ensure that the industrial crisis does not lead to a total shutdown of the nation’s ports.
