Siting the Freedom of Information Act, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Mr. Osita Okechukwu has dragged the Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezeni Alison-Maduke before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged refusal to provide information on transactions involving the sale of crude oil by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations, NNPC, from January 2012 to date.
The plaintiff, who also joined the Ministry of Petroleum as a defendant in the suit, maintained that the refusal to disclose the information he sought, amounted to a violation of Section 7 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act and therefore wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional.
Consequently, he is praying the court for a declaration that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the defendants to release the information requested by the Plaintiff/Applicant in an application dated the March 14, 2014, concerning the disclosure of transactions involving the sale of Crude Oil, the Crude Oil Swap Variant and the certification of subsidy for the importation of Kerosine and PMS from January 2012, to date, of the NNPC, amounts to a violation of Section 7 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act (supra) and is therefore wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional.
“A declaration that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the Defendants to release the information requested by the Plaintiff/Applicant of the application dated the March 20, 2014, concerning the disclosure of transactions involving the sale of Crude Oil; the Crude Oil Swap Variant and the Certification of Subsidy for the importation of Kerosine and PMS from January 2012, to date, of the NNPC to date amounts to a violation of the provisions of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information, Act, 2011.
“A Declaration that by the true interpretation and construction of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act (supra) the Defendants as a Public Institution/Public Official within the meaning of Sections 2 (7) and 31 of the Freedom of Information Act (supra) is obligated to furnish, on request, the application of the Plaintiff/Applicant dated March 14, 2014, concerning the disclosure of transactions involving the sale of Crude Oil; the Crude Oil Swap Variant and the Certification of Subsidy for the importation of Kerosine and PMS from January 2012, to date, of the NNPC.
“A Mandatory Order of Injunction directing the Defendants including their servants, agents, privies, officials and or cohorts to furnish the Plaintiff/Applicant information requested in the Plaintiff/Applicant’s application dated March 14, 2014, concerning the disclosure of transactions involving the sale of Crude Oil; the Crude Oil Swap Variant and the Certification of Subsidy for the importation of Kerosine and PMS from January 2012, to date, of the NNPC to date with a comprehensive and detailed information within Seven (7) days of the delivery of Judgment.
As well as, “an order of court directing the defendants to pay a fine of N500, 000 for the wrongful denial of the Plaintiff the right of access to the Information sought.
Besides, he prayed the court for an order compelling the defendants to pay N1 million as general damage.
