The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking Foundation (NACAT) has taken legal action against Mr Folashodun Shonubi, the acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Mr Edward Adamu, a Deputy Governor at the bank.
According to reports, NACAT alleged that both individuals failed to declare their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
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The lawsuit, filed in a Federal High Court in Abuja by NACAT’s legal representative, John Ainetor of Festus Keyamo Chambers, also names the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau as a defendant.
The basis for the lawsuit is Section 1(1) and (2) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
The lawsuit was designated as FHC/ABJ/CS/1182/2023 and is dated August 25, 2023.
An affidavit accompanying the initial motion ex parte, sworn by Stanley Ugagbe, the operational manager of NACAT, asserted that the respondents adamantly declined to reveal certain documents.
According to Ugagbe, in their roles as public officials, the second and third respondents are legally obligated to declare any interests they hold in specific companies when taking up their positions as acting Governor and Deputy Governor.
He said:
“The applicant has a right under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, to access the Assets and Liabilities Declaration Forms of the second and third respondents in the records of the first respondent, concerning the declaration of the second and third respondents’ interests in the said companies.
“The applicant has made a demand under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to the respondents for them to produce the Assets and Liabilities Declaration Forms, where the second and third respondents declared their interests in the said companies, but the respondents failed, refused and neglected to produce the said documents.”
The applicant argued that court intervention was necessary to enforce the request made to the first and second respondents, in line with Section 1 (3) of the Freedom of Information Act.
The applicant’s requests were based on the fact that it had previously sent letters on July 3, 2023, and August 14, 2023, seeking the documents from the respondents, but they declined to comply.