A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted leave to a civil society organisation to institute judicial review proceedings against officials of the 17 Local Government Areas in Abia State and other government officials over alleged non-compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Justice Ekerete Akpan gave the approval after ruling that the application filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Civil Society Observatory for Constitutional and Legal Compliance (CSOCLC) had merit.
The court subsequently directed the organisation to file and serve substantive motions in the 19 suits against the affected local government councils and other respondents.
The legal action followed a series of Freedom of Information requests submitted by the organisation, seeking details of allocations received by the councils from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Value Added Tax (VAT), budgets, procurement records, audit reports, expenditure schedules and other financial documents relating to the management of council funds.
Also joined in the suits are key state and federal officials, including the Chairman of the Abia State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Accountant-General of Abia State, Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries of Finance and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Secretary to the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Managing Director of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Among the reliefs sought, the civil society organisation is asking the court to declare the respondents’ alleged refusal to provide the requested information as a violation of the Freedom of Information Act and the Constitution.
The organisation is also seeking an order compelling the Attorney-General of the Federation to initiate criminal proceedings against officials found to have violated the FOIA, as well as the award of exemplary damages and costs against the respondents.
The suits are expected to test compliance with Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act and strengthen transparency and accountability in the management of local government finances.
