Those were the stern words of warning to Edo State Government in Benin City on Tuesday by Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO), in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Leftist Osazee Edigin.
The organization put out the statement to alert the public of the anti-people’s activity of the government after the Permanent Secretary to Edo State Ministry of Justice, Kolawole Iyamu (SAN) appeared in court on behalf of Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOPADEC), asking the court to dismiss its request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and that the FOIA was not applicable to Edo State Government.
Edo Civil Society Organizations had made the request for information from EDSOPADEC on some abandoned Police Station Buildings constructed by the commission across the state.
“EDOCSO considering the waves of criminal activities with inadequate materials and resources for our law enforcement agencies, particularly the Police to curb them moved it to make the request, demanding certified true documents relating to projects and other relevant information,” the organization said.
Today, Tuesday November 13, 2018 was was the hearing of the Freedom of Information Act request by EDOCSO in a Benin court.
EDOCSO expressed shock that, instead of being availed the requested information “as citizens who work so hard to pay our taxes to government to enable it protect our lives and property, the Permanent Secretary to the State Ministry of Justice, Kolawole Iyamu SAN appeared in court on behalf of EDSOPADEC asking the court to dismiss our request and that the FOIA is not applicable to Edo state government.”
In a push against the stance of the State Ministry of Justice, EDOCSO had this to say: “Our legal counsel, President Aigbokhan Esq insisted that it is applicable to Edo state and that the issue bothers on security which affects everyone of us hence the court should issue an order that the requested information by the applicants should be made available without any further delay.”
The case was adjourned to February 12, 2019 for judgment.
The organization made reference to the recent threat by Governor Godwin Obaseki that all contractors that abandoned any EDSOPADEC project will be made to refund the money received.
“We want to believe the governor will use these particular security based projects to reaffirm his declaration so as to rekindle the zeal of citizens to pay their taxes and levies with the hope that government will use same judiciously.
“It is a clear state of aberration that, when a citizen fails or neglects to pay his tax, government is quick in taking him to a court with even armed law enforcement agents but when same citizen requests to know how his taxes are being utilized, it becomes a problem for government to disclose.
“If a government cannot disclose how citizens’ taxes are being utilized, such a government lacks the moral justification to collect taxes from citizens,” the organization said.
EDOCSO noted that Corruption and corrupt practices have been the bane of the nation’s development and growth, calling on all citizens to come together to cut it off anywhere it is found irrespective of individual political affiliation.
