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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal High Court in Abuja has authorised an inquiry into the academic credentials of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, following claims of inconsistencies in his educational records.
Justice Binta Nyako gave the approval while ruling on an exparte application brought by an activist, Emorioloye Owolemi.
Owolemi had asked the court to direct an investigation into the minister’s Secondary School Certificate allegedly issued by the West African Examinations Council, citing what he described as discrepancies in Tunji-Ojo’s academic claims.
In a separate but related matter, another judge of the court, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, dismissed Owolemi’s request seeking documents linked to the minister’s alleged discharge certificate from the National Youth Service Corps.
The activist, through his lawyer, Philemon Yakubu, had urged the court to issue an order of mandamus compelling the NYSC to release service records, monthly clearance details, allowance payment logs, banking information, and documents related to an alleged abscondment during the 2006 service year.
Justice Abdulmalik, however, ruled that the application failed to demonstrate that the request was made in the public interest a requirement under the law.
Speaking after the decision, Yakubu said the team would review the judgment and return to court if necessary.
“We filed the application in December, the case was assigned and we came, today we moved the said application, ex parte as provided under the rules of court and the law, and the court in its wisdom found that the application did not disclose how much of public interest the information we are seeking for is.
“So the court now dismissed the said application on the grounds that the information we are looking for concerning this said public officer is not of public interest but of private matter concerning only the individual involved.
“The court has pointed out that our affidavit does not disclose as much, so on the instructions of our client, we will liaise with our client and then do the needful by putting our house in order and taking the said application again, disclosing those facts that the court found wanting in our application.”
He stressed that the activist’s aim remained the promotion of transparency, accountability and integrity among public office holders.