The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit towards the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, over their failure to finish the fixing the National Assembly’s allowances and working prices, and the failure to account for the month-to-month working prices paid to members.
In the go well with quantity FHC/ABJ/CS/1289/2024 filed final Friday, August 27, on the Federal High Court, Abuja, Akpabio and Abbas have been sued individually and on behalf of all members of the National Assembly.
SERAP, within the go well with filed on behalf of its legal professionals, is looking for an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio and Abbas to finish the apparently illegal follow of the National Assembly fixing its remuneration and allowances termed as ‘running cost’.
The organisation can be looking for an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio and Abbas to reveal the precise quantity of the month-to-month working prices being paid to and obtained by the lawmakers and the spending particulars of any such working prices.”
The go well with learn partially, “The nation’s worldwide authorized obligations, particularly underneath the UN Convention towards Corruption, impose a authorized dedication on public officers, together with lawmakers, to discharge a public obligation honestly and faithfully.
“The conference, particularly in paragraph 1 of article 8, requires members to advertise integrity, honesty and accountability within the administration of public sources.
“Constitutional oath of workplace requires public officers, together with lawmakers, to abstain from all improper acts, comparable to fixing their very own salaries, allowances and working prices, which are inconsistent with the general public belief.
“It is a travesty and a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to fix their own salaries, allowances and running costs.”
SERAP argued that the provisions of paragraph N, part 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] clearly make it illegal for the National Assembly to repair its salaries, allowances and working prices.
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It additionally argued that the alleged follow of paying working prices into the private accounts of lawmakers is a elementary breach of Rule 713 of the Federal Government Financial Regulations.
The go well with added, “Rule 713 of the Federal Government Financial Regulations gives: ‘Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account.’
“In the Seventh Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution, lawmakers decide to try to ‘preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Constitution’, [and to] carry out their ‘functions honestly, faithfully’, to behave ‘always in the interest of the well-being and prosperity of Nigeria’.
“Lawmakers additionally decide to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Nigeria; and abide by the Code of Conduct contained in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.’
“SERAP notes that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public establishments to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of energy. Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution additional gives that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’
“According to our information, members of the National Assembly are currently fixing their own salaries, allowances and running costs. The running costs are reportedly paid directly into the personal accounts of members.”
However, no date has been fastened for the listening to of the go well with.