By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Bola Tinubu over the refusal of his government “to reverse the increase in the pump price of petrol.”
Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, SERAP Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, said the lawsuit was filed by the organisation after Mr Tinubu did not also probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Joined in the suit as Respondents are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and the NNPCL.
SERAP noted that, “The apparent unlawful increase in petrol prices followed a scarcity caused by suppliers’ reported refusal to import petroleum products for the NNPCL over a $6 billion debt.”
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1361/2024 was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
SERAP wants the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct the NNPCL to reverse the unjust, illegal, unconstitutional and unreasonable increase in the price of petrol from N845 per litre to N600 per litre.”
It also asked the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC.
The group seeks an order “to compel President Tinubu to direct Fagbemi and appropriate anticorruption agencies to prosecute anyone suspected to be responsible for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL.
It argued that, “The increase in petrol price is causing immense hardship to those less well-off. As the economic situation in Nigeria deteriorates, the increase is pushing people further into poverty.
“Holding the NNPC to account for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would serve legitimate public interests.”
