June 4, 2018
By Yakubu LAAH InvestAdvocate
Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-BudgIT Nigeria, civic tech organisation working on fiscal transparency has demanded from the Lagos State the cost of building the Ikeja bus terminal and charged the State to respect the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
A statement from the fiscal transparency company disclosed it has written numerous letters to the Lagos State Government seeking details of the contracts awarded for the project.
“Following the judgement on the Ondo State Appeal Court by Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, JCA which compels state governments to respect the Freedom of Information Act 2011, BudgIT sent a Freedom of Information requests for details of the Ikeja Bus Terminal and Details of the Contracts Awarded by the Lagos State Government between May 2015 to May 2018 to the Honourable Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure for Lagos state, Mr Ade Akinsanya on May 3rd, 2018 asking for the details of the cost for the public projects execution of the Ikeja Bus Terminal,” the statement said.
According to the company, it understands the said project commissioned on March 29, 2018 by president Muhammadu Buhari was declared to be a world-class infrastructure for the benefit of four million Lagosians on a daily basis.
“However, Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Mr Akinsanya is yet to respond to the request and has thereby flouted the provision of the FOI Act Section (4) which mandates a public institution to respond to a request within seven days. Also, In the advent that the public institution feels the information should be denied, Section 4(b) provides that the public institution gives a written notice, stating reasons for the denial, and the section of the FOI Act under which the denial is made. The Lagos State Ministry of Works and infrastructure has refused to provide neither the information to the request nor a response for refusal there utterly disregarding the FOI Act,” BudgIT affirmed.
The company says following the lack of response from Ministry of Works and infrastructure, it sent a reminder on the subject to the Ministry and distributed copies to the offices of the executive governor, deputy governor, attorney general, commissioner for information and Strategy and the Office of Civic Engagement. The letter dated May 31st, 2018 reiterated the requests made by the organisation on the cost of executing the Ikeja Bus Terminal.
BudgIT disclosed apart from the Ikeja Bus Terminal details request on May 31, 2018, it submitted another FOI request for the details of contracts awarded between May 2015 and May 2018. “The FOI request sought for comprehensive information on projects executed and completed with information on the financials for each project within the current period. Copies of the letters were also sent to the offices of the executive governor, attorney general, commissioner for Information and Strategy and the Office of Civic Engagement,” the company added.
Oluseun Onigbinde, Lead Partner BudgIT is requesting the Lagos State Government to be transparent in all its dealings in respect of government expenditure and project execution “It is imperative that the Lagos State Government which generates the highest revenue in Nigeria at almost N40 billion monthly becomes accountable to its tax-paying citizens,” he added
“BudgIT is committed to getting information on public funds utilisation and helping government become accountable to those it governs. Despite being an entity mainly funded by taxpayers, Lagos State Government shrouds the information on procurement, and capital projects cost in secrecy further eroding good governance traits in the state. The Organisation wishes to state that the lack of transparency breeds corruption and there is no room for opacity in the fight against corruption. Therefore, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies with mandates to change current government status quo to a more reformed one must ensure that its books are open to the public,” the company said.
