Jonathan’s asset declaration: SERAP seeks court order for document release

Posted by admin Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Presidency Monday, July 16th, 2012

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Ikeja for an order compelling the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr Sam Saba, to release documents on President Goodluck Jonathan’s asset declaration.

SERAP’s request, in a suit number FHC/IKJ/CS/159/2012, was brought pursuant to section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act, and Order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2009, and signed by the organisation’s Staff Attorney, Chinyere Nwafor.

The plaintiff argued that under the FOI Act, “it has the right to request for or gain access to documents relating to President Jonathan’s asset declaration, which is in the custody or possession of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), which is a public institution as defined by the FOI Act.

“The defendant has no right whatsoever to deny the plaintiff to the documents sought.

“The information requested for by the plaintiff/applicant stems from the constitutional requirement which provides in section 153 for the establishment of a Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to ensure, among other things, that all public officers, as defined in Part II of the Fifth Schedule, declare their assets on assuming office and immediately their terms of office expire.

“In Paragraph 3(C), the Bureau shall have the power to retain custody of such declarations and make them available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe.”

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