{"id":57881,"date":"2017-05-30T05:28:36","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T04:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=57881"},"modified":"2017-05-30T05:28:36","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T04:28:36","slug":"foi-serap-wins-round-one-battle-release-fg-audited-reports-1999-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/foi-serap-wins-round-one-battle-release-fg-audited-reports-1999-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"FOI: SERAP wins round one in battle over release of FG audited reports for 1999-2015"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As Nigeria marks its 18th Democracy Day anniversary, a Federal High Court<br \/>\nsitting in Ikoyi, Lagos <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_582484788\"><span class=\"aQJ\">on Friday<\/span><\/span> gave Socio-Economic Rights and<br \/>\nAccountability Project (SERAP) and Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative<br \/>\n(PLSI) a victory in Round One of the groups\u2019 attempt to secure the release<br \/>\nof Federal Government audited reports for 1999-2015.<\/p>\n<p>Justice Oluremi\u00a0Oguntoyinbo gave SERAP and PLSI the permission to apply<br \/>\nfor judicial review and seek an order of mandamus directing and compelling<br \/>\nthe Federal Government and the Auditor General of the Federation to<br \/>\npublish the audited reports for 1999-2015.<\/p>\n<p>The order granting leave by the court followed the hearing of an argument<br \/>\nin court on exparte motion by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale.<\/p>\n<p>The order by Justice Oguntoyinbo has now cleared the way for SERAP and<br \/>\nPLSI to advance their case against the government. The motion on notice is<br \/>\nset for <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_582484789\"><span class=\"aQJ\">Wednesday 28 June 2017<\/span><\/span> for the hearing of argument on why the<br \/>\ngovernment should not be directed and compelled to release and publish the<br \/>\naudited reports.<\/p>\n<p>The suit number FHC\/L\/CS\/57\/2017 filed by SERAP in conjunction with the<br \/>\nPLSI followed a Freedom of Information request to the Federal Government<br \/>\nand the Auditor General of the Federation dated 21st December, 2016. Mr<br \/>\nAdewale argued in court that the Federal Government and Auditor General of<br \/>\nthe Federation have failed, refused and\/or neglected to provide SERAP and<br \/>\nPLSI the details of the information requested.<\/p>\n<p>Adewale also argued that, \u201cRefusal to publish the audited reports so that<br \/>\nNigerians can have the opportunity to carefully review the reports goes<br \/>\nfar beyond the limitations allowed under the FOI Act and international<br \/>\nlaw, and negates the principle of Open Government Partnership (OGP) to<br \/>\nwhich Nigeria is a signatory. The right to receive information without any<br \/>\ninterference or distortion should be based on the principle of maximum<br \/>\ndisclosure, and a presumption that all information is accessible subject<br \/>\nonly to a narrow system of exceptions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The suit read in part: \u201cBy virtue of Section 1(1) of the FOI Act 2011,<br \/>\nSERAP and PLSI are entitled as of right to request for or gain access to<br \/>\ninformation which is in the custody or possession of any public official,<br \/>\nagency or institution. By the provisions of Section 2(7) and 31 of the FOI<br \/>\nAct, the Defendant\/Respondent is a public official\/institution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder Section 4 (a) of the FOI Act when a person makes a request for<br \/>\ninformation from a public official, institution or agency, the public<br \/>\nofficial, institution or agency to whom the application is directed is<br \/>\nunder a binding legal obligation to provide the information requested,<br \/>\nexcept as otherwise provided by the Act, <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_582484790\"><span class=\"aQJ\">within 7 days<\/span><\/span> after the<br \/>\napplication is received. The information requested relates to the audited<br \/>\nreports of the federation for the following previous years: 1999, 2000,<br \/>\n2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,<br \/>\n2013, 2014, and 2015 (1999-2015).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe information requested does not come within the purview of the types<br \/>\nof information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FOI Act.<br \/>\nThe information requested for, apart from not being exempted from<br \/>\ndisclosure under the FOI Act, bothers on an issue of national interest,<br \/>\npublic concern, social justice, good governance, transparency and<br \/>\naccountability. The information is not privileged in any way or manner;<br \/>\nand the Defendant\/Respondent will not suffer any injury or prejudice if<br \/>\nthe information is released\/published.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The suit is seeking the following reliefs:<\/p>\n<p>A DECLARATION that the failure of the Respondent to provide and furnish<br \/>\nthe Applicants the audited reports of the federation for the following<br \/>\nprevious years: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,<br \/>\n2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 (1999-2015) is illegal<br \/>\nand unlawful as it contradicts and in conflict with the duties of the<br \/>\nRespondent under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.<\/p>\n<p>AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS compelling and\/or mandating the Respondent to<br \/>\nimmediately provide and furnish the Applicants the audited reports of the<br \/>\nfederation for the following previous years: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,<br \/>\n2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015<br \/>\n(1999-2015), and to publish same widely including on a dedicated website<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Nigeria marks its 18th Democracy Day anniversary, a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday gave Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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