By David Agba
Abuja
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a civil society organisation (CSO) has dragged the Chairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) before the Federal High Court, Abuja, for denial of access to details of SURE-P’s conditional cash transfer scheme without explanation.
In Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/283/2014, motion exparte brought pursuant to orders 34 rules 1 and 3(1), (2) & (4), of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) rules 2009, sections 1, 20, 21 & 25 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and sections 48 (1) & 51 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, CSJ wants the Court to declare the SURE-P chairman’s action as a violation of the applicant’s right to information enshrined in the Freedom of Information Act 2011, section (4).
Also in the motion, CSJ is seeking “A declaration that the continued refusal by the respondents to make available to the applicant details of SURE-P’s conditional cash transfer scheme without explanation amounts to a violation of the applicant’s right to information enshrined in the Freedom of Information Act 2011, section (4).
“An order of mandamus directing/compelling the respondent to make available to the applicants details of SURE-P’s conditional transfer scheme to wit: The states of origin and local government of 8,839 beneficiaries; the names, addresses, phone numbers and other contacts of the beneficiaries.
“The criteria for the selection of beneficiaries, the dates the transfers were made to each of them, how much was spent on each of them and the total amount spent on the scheme.”
According to the exparte motion, the grounds upon which the reliefs are sought are pursuant to section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 which expressly mandates public institutions to within 7 days of request make available to the applicant the information requested.
In a six paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Omale Omachi Samuel, the applicant had waited for the request to be granted by the respondent through a letter dated March 24th 2014, but in vain.
CSJ is therefore asking the Court to grant its request in the interest of justice.
Hearing on the matter has however not been fixed.
