A Federal High Court sitting in
Abuja, has been asked to refuse the request to make available to the
public details of security spendings in the war against insurgency.
According to the suit filed by a
lawyer, Mr. Osaze Agbonifo, releasing security spending to the
public will breach the provision of Freedom of Information Act.
A civil society organisations,
Global Integrity Crusade Network, had applied for the release of security
spending on insurgency in the North East of Nigeria under the Freedom of
Information Act.
But reacting to the development, the
civil rights lawyer said the disclosure of such to any unauthorized body will
be a breach of the provision of the Freeodm of Information Act and not in the
interest of the country’s image.
Respondents in the suit marked
FHC/ABJ/CS/159018, are the Office of the National Security Adviser,
Ministry of Defence, State Security Service, National Intelligence Agency,
Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Police Force
and the Nigerian Immigration Service.
In the suit dated December 20th,
2018, filed by Oghenovo Otemu, the plaintiff asked the court for an order
restraining the respondents from releasing details of security spendings to any
CSOs acting under the FOI Act.
The plaintiff in the suit
asked for an order restraining the respondents from releasing or furnishing
Global Integrity Crusade Network or any civil society organization,
persons or entities that have applied for any for any information relating to
OR connected with the world against insurgency in the North East Under the FOI
Act.
He also asked the court not to allow
the respondents release the following information:
*The amount received as budgetary
allocations from the federal government of Nigeria for counter terrorism
operation in the year 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively.
*The list of security hardware and
equipment procured for counter terrorism operations in the year 2015,
2016, 2017 and 2018 so we can confirm, if the approved budgetary allocation
were used for the intended purpose.
*List of contracts awarded,
executed on ongoing in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 as well as of list of
newspapers, journala and other media outfit wherein the bidding exercise
for the said contracts were published to be able us ascertain if the the
procedure laid down in the Public Procurement Act No. 65 of 2007 were duly
followed.
*The breakdown of coat expended by
your office on personnel running in the year 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 to
enable us ascertain if more that one third of the budgetary allocation meant
for counter terrorism operations was not used for payment of allowances to only
top management staffer.
No date has been fixed for the
hearing of the case.
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