A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed June 26, 2019 for hearing in International Centre for Investigative Report’s (ICIR) suit against the Code of Conduct Bureau for its refusal to disclose information following a request for information made pursuant to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
The ICIR sued the Code of Conduct Bureau over its denial of the FOI request it made. Joined as respondents in the suit are the Bureau’s Chairman and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
In the request the information made pursuant to Sections 2(3) and (4) of the FOI Act, ICIR asked for details of asset declaration of all cabinet members in the past administration including by:
- Secretary to the Government of the Federation – Boss Mustapha
- Chief of Staff to the President – Abba Kyari
- Head of Civil Service of the Federation – Winifred Ekanem Oyo- Ita
- National Security Adviser – Mohammed Babagana Monguno
- Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development – Audu Innocent Ogbeh
- Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development – Heneiken Lokpobiri
- Minister of Budget and National Planning – Udoma Udo Udoma
- Minister of Communication – Adebayo Shittu
- Minister of Defence – Mansur Dan Ali
- Minister of Education – Adamu Adamu
- Minister of State for Education – Anthony Onwuka
- Minister of State for Environment – Ibrahim Usman Jibril
- Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – Mohammed Musa Bello
- Minister of Finance – Zainab Ahmad
- Minister of Foreign Affairs – Geoffrey Jideofor Kwusike Onyeama
- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs – Khadijat Bukar Abba Ibrahim
- Minister of Health – Isaac Folorunsho Adewole
- Minister of State for Health – Osagie Ehanire
- Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment – Okechukwu Enelamah
- Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment – Aisha Abubakar
- Minister of Information – Lai Mohammed
- Minister of Interior – Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau
- Minister of Justice – Abubakar Malami
- Minister of Labour and Employment – Chris Nwabueze Ngige
- Minister of State for Labour and Employment – Stephen Ocheni
- Minister of Niger Delta – Usani Uguru Usani
- Minister of State for Niger Delta – Claudius Omoleye Daramola
- Minister of Petroleum – President Muhammadu Buhari
- Minister of State for Petroleum – Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu
- Minister of Power, Works and Housing – Babatunde Raji Fashola
- Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing – Mustapha Baba Shehuri
- Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing – Suleiman Hassan
- Minister of Science and Technology – Ogbonnaya Onu
- Minister of State for Solid Minerals – Bawa Bwari Abubakar
- Minister of Transportation – Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
- Minister of State for Aviation – Hadi Sirika
- Minister of Water Resources – Suleiman Adamu
- Supervisory Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development –Aisha Abubakar
- Minister of Youth and Sports – Solomon Dalung
In the case filed by Kingsley Nnajiaka, a member of MRA’s FOI Legal Response Network, at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, ICIR is seeking the following reliefs:
- A declaration that the failure of the Code of Conduct Bureau and its chairman to make available to ICIR the information requested by the it in a letter dated January 16, 2019 amounts to a violation to ICIR’s right of access to information established and guaranteed by Sections 1(1) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
- A declaration that the failure of the Code of Conduct Bureau and its chairman to make available to ICIR the information requested by it in a letter dated January 16, 2019 amounts to wrongful denial of access to information pursuant to Section 7(5) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
- A declaration that the failure of the Code of Conduct Bureau and its chairman to give written notice to ICIR that access to all or part of the information requested will not be granted, stating reasons for denial and the section of the Act under which the denial is made amounts to a violation of Section 4(b) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
- An order of mandamus compelling the Code of Conduct Bureau and its chairman to disclose details of asset declaration of all cabinet members in the past administration.
- An order compelling the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate criminal proceedings against the Code of Conduct Bureau and its chairman for the offence of wrongful denial of access to information under Section 7(5) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
- The Sum of N1, 000.000.00 (One Million Naira) only on the footing of exemplary and aggravated damages for the unlawful violation of the ICIR’s right of access to Information established and guaranteed by Section 1(1) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and wrongful denial of access to information under Section 7 (4) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
The suit is litigated under a sponsored project by Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).
