A civil rights group, Centre for Social Justice, has dragged the Minister
of Agricultural and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe before the Federal
High Court in Abuja over N25billion egg production contract he awarded to
a firm.
The group, in the suit marked FCH/ABJ/CS/ 520 /2016, is seeking leave of
the court to apply for an order of mandamus compelling the Minister to
release details and copy of the N25bn contract he signed with Tuns Farms
Nigeria Limited.
The said contract was supposedly aimed at facilitating egg production in
the country on a project tagged National Egg Production Scheme, NEGPRO.
Specifically, the plaintiff, through its lawyer, Mr. Kingsley Nnajiaka, is
praying the court to compel the Respondent to furnish it with a copy of
the signed agreement, the contact address of the company, newspaper where
the procurement contract was advertised and the criteria for selecting
Tuns Farms for the project.
The plaintiff anchored its request on provisions of sections 1, 20 and 21
of the freedom of information act, 2011, sections 48(1), 51 of the Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 2007 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the
court.
It is urging the court to among other things, issue “a declaration that
denying the Applicant access to the details and the copy of N25 billion
(Twenty Five Billion Naira) contract the Honourable Minister signed with
Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited to facilitate egg production in the country on
the project called National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO) without
explanation constitutes an infringement of the Applicant’s right
guaranteed and protected by section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information
Act 2011.
“A declaration that the continued refusal of the Respondent to grant to
the Applicant access to the details and the copy of N25 billion (Twenty
Five Billion Naira ) contract the Honourable Minister signed with Tuns
Farms Nigeria Limited to facilitate egg production in the country on the
project called National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO)despite Applicant’s
demand violates Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
“A declaration that the continued refusal of the Respondent to grant
access to the Applicant of the details and the copy of N25 billion (Twenty
Five Billion Naira ) contract the Honourable Minister signed with Tuns
Farms Nigeria Limited to facilitate egg production in the country on the
project called National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO) without explanation
constitutes an infringement of the Applicant’s right guaranteed and
protected by Section 48 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.
As well as, “An order compelling the Respondent to pay to the Applicant
the Sum of N500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) as damages for denying
the Applicant access to information”.
The plaintiff told the court that it had after the Minister informed the
general public that he signed the egg production contract, approached him
to furnish it with the details.
It said that a letter it wrote to the Minister under the Freedom of
Information Act, 2011, requesting for details of the contract especially
how Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited was selected for the contract and if the
contract was advertised in any newspaper in compliance with the provisions
of Public Procurement Act, was ignored.
Meanwhile, the suit is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.