The administration of former Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, collected nearly N200 billion in public cash from the Universal Basic Education Commission fund and allocations from the Federation Accounts, and the Federal High Court in Lagos has demanded full disclosure of spending information.
Read Also: Simon Ekpa Responds To Viral Letter Issued By Kanu Against Stay-At-Home Order
Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State, was ordered to “disclose details of budgetary allocations and actual spending by the Okowa government between 2015 and 2019” by Honourable Justice Daniel Osiagor in his judgement from July 17th.
Following a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project with case number FHC/L/CS/803/2019, the judgement was handed down.
In his judgment, Justice Osiagor held that “SERAP has cognizable legal right to inquire and know the way and manner public institutions manage public funds. I must say, that every citizen has a duty to demand transparency and accountability in the governance of public institutions.”
In lieu of that, Justice Osiagor ordered the Delta State government to “disclose how the Okowa government spent over N7.28 billion received from UBEC between 2015 and 2017, and N213 billion received from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee in 2018, at an average of N17.8 billion monthly.”
SERAP’s suit followed the case of seven-year-old Success Adegor, who was sent home because her parents could not pay the illegal school fee/levy of N900.
