Drama As Kogi Youths Ask Council Chairman To Account For Multi-million Naira Monthly Allocation Since 2015

SaharaReporters reports that the Ibaji Progressive Youth Foundation, a group in the Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State, has asked council Chairman to account for the millions of naira monthly allocation of the LGA from 2015 till date.

In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request signed by the group’s National President, Apeh Kelvin Abuchi and Secretary, Egwu Sule Linus, the council boss was also asked to give an elaborate breakdown of the expenditure.

The letter, obtained by SaharaReporters, reads, “We write as an organisation that advocates for the rights of Ibaji citizens, kogi state and Nigeria in general. By virtue of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, we hereby request that you provide us with the following information: A detailed and up to date record of Federal allocations received by the Ibaji Local Government Area Council from 2015 to date;

“An elaborate breakdown of the expenditure and use of the Federal allocations received by the Ibaji Local Government Area Council from 2015 to date.

“We understand that under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, we are entitled to a response within seven (7) working days of your receipt of this request and we look forward to receiving the information requested within the permitted timeframe.

“In consequence thereof, we humbly request that the information be delivered to [email protected] in Microsoft Excel format. We are willing to pay the fees as assessed, which are incurred as a result of complying with this request, but we wish to reiterate, as clearly stated under Section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, that, fees “....shall be limited to standard charges for document duplication and Fees transcription where necessary.”

“If upon review of our request, the decision is taken to transfer the request to another public institution, we request that you provide us with a written notice of this fact in the manner as provided under the Act and within the stipulated timeframe.

“If our request is denied in whole or in part we request that you justify such denial by reference to specific exemptions under the Act. It is instructive to note that we reserve the right to appeal your decision as guaranteed by the Act and we wish to state in clear terms that any request not sanctioned within the prescribed timeframe will be deemed as a denial of the request and any wrongful denial of request makes the defaulting officer and/or institution liable to a fine of N500,000 only.”

Meanwhile, the Ibaji association learnt that the local council had directed all its workers to relocate from the Ibaji liaison office in Idah to the Ibaji Local Government Area as from Friday, January 14.

The Ibaji youths who are in a pending court case against the council chairman insisted that the court case would go on despite the relocation with the next adjourned date being February 28, 2022.