Abuja based lawyer and human rights activist, Efa Oka, has written to the local council administrations in Abi and Yakurr local government areas, demanding information and record of the monthly allocation separately received by both councils from the State Local Government Joint allocation Committee, from June 2020 till May 2021. Additionally, the lawyer also wants, made public, the internally generated revenue of both councils.
Oka also wants the record of expenditure and records of projects executed by the councils in all wards in the LGAs, in pursuant to Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.
In separate letters dated June 10th, 2021, sent to Faratoh Robinson and Ofem Ebri Obeten, chairmen of Abi and Yakurr LGAs, and promptly received by the two council bosses, the lawyer further wants the Legislature in the two sister LGAs to show that they deliberated on and okayed the spending of this funds, as separate letters also served the heads of the Legislature in the councils show.
When www.calitown.com contacted legal sources in the State demanding to know the fate of the officials if they ignore the letter, we were informed by one source that, “If after seven days the public officer(s) the demand is addressed to refuses to disclose the information, an application will be made to a High Court to order the Chairmen and Leaders of the Legislative Council to disclose the information in addition to the payment of the sum of five hundred thousand naira for their refusal to disclose the information demanded. Again, where they fail after such an order is made the court can hold them in contempt of court and order their imprisonment until they purge themselves of contempt”, we were told. Attempts to speak to the chairmen were not fruitful at press time.
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