By Abiola Olawale
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated legal action against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the federal government over an alleged increment in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel.
The organisation, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1361/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, accused three federal government of increasing fuel prices unlawfully.
SERAP, in the lawsuit, is also seeking an order compelling President Tinubu to probe alleged corruption and mismanagement in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
Oluwadare also revealed that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the NNPCL were joined in the suit as respondents.
SERAP says it 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.”
In addition, the group is seeking 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 said:”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.
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on the government to ‘abolish all corrupt practices’ including in the NNPC.
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, the government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen based on social justice and equality of status and opportunity.
“Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’’
