SERAP files suit to stop President Buhari’s N26bn budget on food, travels, others

Says it surpasses allocations for 14 teaching hospitals

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP), has instituted a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over the N26 billion budgetary allocation for meals, travels, sitting allowance, welfare package, and office building.

This was contained in a statement issued by the SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, yesterday.

The suit was filed last Friday on behalf of the group by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms. Adelanke Aremo.

According to SERAP, “The government would continue to borrow to fund the country’s budget until there is a substantial cut to the cost of governance.

“It is in the public interest to stop the government from spending so much money on these items. Persistent borrowing is neither sustainable nor fair to the Nigerian people”.

In the suit, SERAP also said: “According to reports, the proposed N26 billion on travels, meals, refreshments and the presidential wing of the State House Clinic is more than the proposed allocations for ongoing and new projects in 14 teaching hospitals combined”.

The rights group listed some of the health institutions and their budget to include: “N19.17 billion allocated to the following teaching hospitals: UNILAG Teaching Hospital—N1.69bn; ABU Teaching Hospital—N2.38bn; University College Hospital, Ibadan—N1.49bn and UNN Teaching Hospital—N1.38bn, among others”.

Also, in the suit, SERAP is, among other demands, seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to publish spending details on the State House Medical Centre since May 29, 2015”.

No date has been fixed for the hearing.

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