The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a suit against the 36 state governors for failure to account for the N72 billion for palliatives collected from federal government.

The 36 states were given N2 billion each by the federal government for palliatives in their respective states.

Kolawole Oluwadare, its Deputy Director, said in a statement on Sunday that the governors failed to give the details of the beneficiaries and the reliefs they provided with the money.

In the suit FHC/L/CS/1943/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel each of the 36 state governors to account for the spending of the N2 billion palliative collected by the governors from the Federal Government.

It also wants the court to issue an order to direct and compel each of the 36 state governors to disclose details of the beneficiaries and the reliefs provided to the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians with the money.

SERAP is also seeking an order to direct and compel each of the 36 state governors to instruct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the spending of fuel subsidy palliative collected by them.

“Government’s secrecy is fundamentally anti-democratic. Secrecy in the spending of the N72 billion collected by the 36 state governors would create distrust or suspicion of the government. The failure by the governors to account for the public funds is both legally and morally wrong.

“The 36 state governors are constitutionally required to act in the public interest. Secrecy in government is a form of coercion. Government secrecy promotes arbitrariness and covers illegal acts,” the statement read.