Serer urges governors, Wike to explain the saving of N14TRN – Thage subsidies

By Ayo Kehinde

The project of socio-economic rights and responsibilities (Serap) urged the 36 state governors of Nigeria and the Minister of the Federal Territory Capital, Nyesom Wike, to “urgently reveal the expense details of the estimated n14 subsidies for the completion of the completion subsidies.

Serap urged them to “provide details on the plans on how the subsequent savings of fuel subsidies that expect to collect from the allocations of the Faac, including the details of any planned projects on which the money would have been spent.

“Publicly invites independent corrupt practices and other related crimes (ICPC) and the commission for economic and financial crimes (EFCC) to trace and monitor the expense of the savings of fuel subsidies collected by you, to ensure that the money is not diverted in private pockets.”

According to reports, the 36 governors and the Minister of FCT collected Naira trillion from Faac allocations as savings of fuel subsidies since mid -2010. But the greatest allocations have not translated into better access to basic public services, such as quality health care and education for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

In requests for freedom of information dated 4 October 2025 and signed by the deputy director Serap, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “There is a legitimate public interest for governors and the Minister of FCT to urgently explain how they spent the money that collected so far from the savings of subsidies.

“The savings from the removal of the subsidy for fuel should be spent exclusively for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians who are bringing the weight of the removal. Transparency in the spending of money would help to avoid a morally repugnant result of the double danger for these Nigerians.”

The requests forgiveness in part: “There is a significant risk of bad management or diversion of the funds related to the greater allocations of Faac collected by the States and FCT.

“The details of spending on the money collected by several states and the FCT from the savings of fuel subsidies have mostly wrapped in secret.

“Millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians have not benefited from the trillion of Naira collected by the governors and the Minister of FCT due to the savings of subsidies. The Nigerians continue to face a worsening of the crisis of poverty.

“According to reports, several states including your state are spending public funds that can include savings of subsidies to finance unnecessary trips, buy exotic and antiprousile cars and in general to finance the sumptuous lifestyles of politicians.

“There are continuous reports of widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services in different states.

“The opacity in the expense of the savings of fuel subsidies collected by you would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of citizens and on the public interest. Transparency would guarantee that public funds were not deviated in private pockets.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are adopted within 7 days of the receipt and/or in the publication of this letter. If since then we have not heard of you, Serap will consider the appropriate legal actions to force your state and the FCT to conform to our request in the public interest.

“The dissemination of the details of the expenditure of the money collected by your state as savings of fuel would allow the Nigerians to examine them and to keep you account for the expense of public funds.

“States and FCT may not have managed to manage the allocations collected by the savings of subsidies in a transparent and detained way.

“The Nigerians have the right to know how their states and FCTs are spending savings from removing the subsidy for fuel as part of their human right to information.

“Fighting the corruption epidemic in the expense of money collected relieving poverty, improving the access of Nigerians to basic public services and improve the ability of your states to download their responsibilities effectively and efficient.

“According to our information, the Federation’s Installation Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2024 distributed N28.78 trillions of N28.78 from the removal of the subsidy on petrol at the three levels of the government, representing a 79 % increase compared to the previous year.

“The allocations of state governments increased by 45.5 percent to N5.22 trillion. The monthly distributions in 2025 exceeded N1.6 trillion.

“However, despite the major allocations of public funds to your state and the FCT, millions of poor and socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians have not benefited from the savings.

“According to reports, many states owe the salaries and pensions of public employees. Different states continue to borrow to pay wages. Millions of Nigerians residing in your state and FCT continue to deny access to basic public services.

“Section 15 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as modified) requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and the abuse of power. Section 16 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution also provides that” the material resources of the nation are exploited and distributed in the best possible way to serve the common good.

“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution requires a clear responsibility to public institutions, including your state to conform, observe and apply the provisions of chapter 2 of the Constitution.

“Nigeria has made legally binding juridical commitments pursuant to the United Nations Convention against corruption to ensure responsibility in managing public resources. Articles 5 and 9 of the Convention also impose legal obligations for their State and FCT to guarantee correct management of public affairs and public funds.

“The Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act and the anti -corruption and human rights obligations are based on the principle according to which citizens should have access to information relating to their government’s activities.

“The constitutional principle of democracy also provides a basis for the Nigerian law to know the details of spending of the money collected by the savings from the removal of the subsidy for fuel.

“As the Supreme Court said, any laws on the freedom of information by states is subject to the law on freedom of information.

Post views:
106