Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to cut immediately the cost of governance in Nigeria.
Nigeria entered its second recession in five years.
The rights group, in reaction, told Buhari to put the country’s resources at the service of the masses to enable them to enjoy a good standing of living.
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This was contained in a letter dated 21 November 2020, signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.
He said the economic crisis provides an opportunity to prioritise access of poor and vulnerable Nigerians to basic socio-economic rights, and to genuinely recommit to the fight against corruption.
The group stressed that the nation cannot afford to get back to business as usual, and urged implementation of transparency and accountability measures would save money, address projected adverse human rights impacts of the recession, and fast-track the economic recovery process.
SERAP said it is not too late to take urgent steps that would put the country’s wealth and resources to work for the common good of all Nigerians.
The body decried that decades of mismanagement and corruption, and deep-seated deficiencies in public financial management have directly contributed to higher levels of borrowing and public debts, and consequently, the economic recession.
