Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has congratulated the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Moni Pulo Limited, Dr (Mrs.) Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, on her conferment of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Best of Africa Awards in London.

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?In a congratulatory message issued from Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, Odu described the recognition as a well-deserved honour that reflects Lulu-Briggs’ outstanding contributions to business, philanthropy and humanitarian development spanning more than four decades.

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?The deputy governor noted that the award, presented at the Best of Africa Awards Dinner held at the Peninsula Hotel, London, was a fitting tribute to a remarkable woman whose commitment to enterprise, compassion and service to humanity has positively impacted countless lives in Nigeria and beyond.

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?She said the honour was further evidence of Lulu-Briggs’ enduring legacy of generosity and selfless service through the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, which she founded to advance humanitarian causes and bring relief and hope to vulnerable individuals and communities.

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?Odu noted that the recognition, presented before distinguished personalities from across Africa and the diaspora under the theme “Unity,” celebrated the values of stewardship, ingenuity and service that continue to inspire meaningful development across the continent.

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?She added that Dr Lulu-Briggs’ achievements demonstrate that true greatness lies not merely in professional success, but also in the ability to uplift others, transform communities and leave a lasting legacy of compassion and positive change.

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?According to the statement, the Best of Africa Awards celebrates exceptional Africans whose professional accomplishments transcend personal success to touch lives, empower communities, inspire hope and make enduring contributions to society.

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?The award recognises individuals whose achievements exemplify the power of purpose, philanthropy and service to humanity, Odu noted.

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The lawmaker representing Ahoada East Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Queen Uwuma Tony-Williams, has received the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag as a candidate of the Rainbow Coalition for the 2027 general elections.
Tony-Williams received the flag alongside other candidates at a ceremony held on October 27, 2026, at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The event marked the formal presentation of party flags to candidates seeking elective positions under the Rainbow Coalition, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The unveiling ceremony was supervised by the coalition’s national leader, Chief Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers State.
The presentation of the PDP flag to Tony-Williams formally signalled her participation in the coalition’s electoral arrangement as she seeks another term representing Ahoada East Constituency I in the state legislature.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of flags to candidates contesting governorship and National Assembly seats, underscoring the coalition’s political activities ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Among the prominent personalities present were Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his supporters, alongside other political stakeholders from within and outside the state.
The event forms part of the political engagements and preparations by the Rainbow Coalition as participating candidates begin positioning themselves for the 2027 electoral contest.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over alleged diversion, irregular expenditure and failure to account for N78.8bn allocated to cash-transfer and social-protection programmes.

SERAP, in a statement released by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, yesterday, said the allegations involved the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office.

The allegations were documented in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026.

According to the report, the findings covered various periods between January 2023 and December 31, 2024.

In the suit, marked ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26 and filed last week, SERAP is seeking a declaration that the government’s failure to account for the funds violates Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.

The organisation is also asking the court to order the government to provide a comprehensive account of the questioned funds, investigate the alleged irregularities, recover any money improperly spent or diverted where established, and strengthen financial oversight of social-protection programmes.

SERAP argued that the alleged financial irregularities could undermine the rights of vulnerable Nigerians to social security and an adequate standard of living, including access to food, clothing and housing.

The statement party read, “The funds were intended to benefit over 3.2 million households across 35 states, whose access to financial assistance has been affected by the allegations made by the Auditor-General.”

The suit, filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, stated that the government’s failure to investigate the allegations and recover any improperly spent funds violated its obligations to protect vulnerable households.

“The failure to investigate the N78.8 billion cash-transfer scandal, account for the questioned funds and recover any unlawfully spent amounts violates Nigeria’s obligations to protect the human rights of vulnerable households,” the suit partly read.

The organisation said it instituted the case to protect affected households and ensure accountability for public funds allocated for their benefit.

“SERAP brings this public-interest case to protect the interests of affected households and ensure accountability for public funds allocated for their benefit,” it stated.

The organisation maintained that cash-transfer programmes could help address extreme poverty and enable vulnerable people to meet their basic needs, but argued that the government had a duty to ensure the funds were properly managed.

“The right to social security cannot be effectively realised merely by establishing a formal cash-transfer programme where the State fails to maintain reasonable systems for identifying beneficiaries, maintaining records, reconciling disbursements, monitoring expenditure, investigating irregularities and remedying losses,” the statement further stated.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General questioned approximately N33.751bn reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023, noting that adequate records to verify the payments and reconcile beneficiary records were not provided.

The report also identified N36.744bn in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits, N4.616bn in unsupported expenditures, N350.182m for enrolment, N89.511m for store purchases and N17.422m in diesel advances.

SERAP said the suit was brought under Article 9(4) of the ECOWAS Court Protocol to protect affected households and ensure accountability for public funds intended for social protection.

“The issue is whether the government has discharged its obligations under applicable human-rights treaties to safeguard resources allocated for social protection, investigate documented financial irregularities, provide effective remedies and ensure that those resources are applied for their intended purposes,” it stated.

The organisation also cited the constitutional responsibility of the Auditor-General to audit and report on the public accounts of the Federation and the offices and agencies of the Federal Government, describing the findings in the annual report as important official records of public expenditure.

It relied on Articles 1 and 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arguing that the government had obligations to give effect to protected rights and ensure that failures in administering social-protection programmes did not result in discriminatory exclusion or unequal access to benefits.

“The Nigerian government has the obligation to take effective measures to prevent and address corruption and related misuse of public resources. The government has failed to take appropriate measures in response to the allegations made by the Auditor-General”, the statement added.

SERAP said it had previously urged President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities to account for the questioned funds, publish audit records, investigate irregular expenditures, recover any funds unlawfully spent or diverted and take appropriate action against those responsible.

Following the publication of the Auditor-General’s report, the organisation issued a public statement and sent a letter dated September 5, 2026, requesting action on the findings. It also sought payment and beneficiary records, verification documents and an explanation for the missing REMITA records.

“The deadline given to the government to address the Auditor-General’s findings had elapsed without adequate action,” it stated.

The organisation further cited Articles 1 and 21 of the African Charter, alongside Article 9 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, as requiring effective measures to protect rights and resources, promote transparent public financial management, investigate irregularities and recover public funds where losses or improper expenditure were established.

SERAP also relied on the works of legal scholar Kolawole Olaniyan, including Corruption and Human Rights Law in Africa, published by Hart Publishing in 2014, and Ownership of Proceeds of Corruption in International Law, published by Oxford University Press in 2023. It said the publications provided persuasive academic authority on corruption’s effects on human rights, public resources, accountability and international legal remedies.

“SERAP accordingly submits that the Auditor-General’s findings cannot be treated merely as administrative irregularities where public funds allocated for social protection may have been lost, improperly spent or left unaccounted for, and the government fails to take effective corrective action,” the statement added.

SERAP is asking the court to direct the government to conduct an independent, prompt and effective investigation into the identified irregularities, recover public funds improperly spent, diverted or lost where established, and take appropriate legal or administrative action against those found responsible, in accordance with due process.

It also wants the government to strengthen financial accountability, beneficiary verification, auditing, reconciliation and oversight mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the alleged irregularities and ensure that eligible vulnerable households receive their intended benefits.

The organisation is further seeking an order restraining the government from administering or disbursing cash-transfer and social-protection funds without adequate accountability and oversight mechanisms, as well as appropriate remedies for any established adverse effects on beneficiaries’ protected rights.

No date has, however, been fixed for the hearing of the suit.