BudgIT Nigeria, a civic tech organisation working on fiscal transparency, has demanded from the Lagos State Government to make public the cost of the Ikeja Bus Terminal and details of the contracts awarded by it between May 2015 to May this year.
In a statement issued by the organisation’s Communication Lead, Abiola Afolabi, to the media today, BudgIT stated that it had made series of enquiries through letters supported by the Freedom of Information Act on these issues to the government following the judgement on the Ondo State Appeal Court by Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, JCA which compelled state governments to respect the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011.
Specifically, the organisation claimed that it a FoI requests for details of the Ikeja Bus Terminal and details of the contracts awarded by the state government between May 2015 to May 2018 to the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ade Akinsanya, on May 3rd, 2018 asking for the details of the cost for the public projects execution of the Ikeja Bus Terminal.
It noted that the Court of Appeal, Akure Division on March 27, 2018, ruled that the requests for public information under the Freedom of Information Act, are made in public interest and should be honoured by all states in Nigeria.
BudgIT recalled that the bus terminal which was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 29, 2018, was stated to be a world-class infrastructure that will cater to 4 million Lagosians per day, adding that it understands the project is now completed and demands that the cost of the project should be made public.
According to the civic tech organisation, despite all its 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.
It pointed out further that 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.
BudgIT alleged that state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure refused to provide neither the information to the request nor a response for refusal there utterly disregarding the FOI Act.
It stated further: “Following the lack of response from Ministry of Works and infrastructure, BudgIT 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.
“In addition to the request on details of Ikeja Bus Terminal, on May 31, 2018, BudgIT submitted another FOI request for the details of contracts awarded between May 2015 and May 2018”, it calimed.
According to the group, the FOI request sought for comprehensive information on projects executed and completed with information on the financials for each project within the current period.
It also confirmed that 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.
BudgIT pointed out that with the ruling on FOI application to states, Lagos State Government do away with “its former opaque and non-transparent ways around government expenditure and project execution and embrace openness.”
BudgIT’s Oluseun Onigbinde, said that it had becomes “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.”
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 stated that the lack of transparency breeds corruption and there is no room for opacity in the fight against corruption.
It therefore charged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with mandates to change current government status quo to a more reformed to ensure that its books are open to the public.
