SERAP Drags CBN to Court for Failure to Give Details on Direct Payments to LGs to Herald Autonomy

Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Kolawole Oluwadare has announced that the organization has taken the Central Bank of Nigeria to court over its failure to provide details of direct payments made to the 774 local government councils in Nigeria.

This move follows a landmark Supreme Court judgment last July, which ruled that allocations from the Federation Account must be paid directly to local government councils, bypassing state governors.

According to the lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking a court order to compel the CBN to disclose the amounts sent to each council, as well as the details of any direct payments made to local government councils in Rivers State.

The organization argues that the CBN has a constitutional and statutory duty to ensure that local government councils receive their allocations directly from the Federation Account, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Ms Oluwakemi Oni, one of the lawyers representing SERAP, emphasized that the CBN must act in the public interest to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

The lawsuit contends that state governors have consistently disregarded the Supreme Court’s orders, undermining the integrity of the court and the rule of law.

SERAP’s lawsuit also highlights the importance of protecting the allocations meant for local government councils, which are the legitimate owners of these funds.

The organization argues that the CBN has a responsibility to comply with the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations, and to prevent states from tampering with the allocations meant for local government councils.