The Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), has hailed a recent Supreme Court judgment affirming the applicability of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act across all levels of government.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, ENetSuD’s Coordinator, Associate Professor Abdullateef Alagbonsi, said the landmark ruling has put an end to years of evasiveness by public institutions, particularly in Kwara State, where the organization had faced resistance in accessing public records.
According to Alagbonsi, the Supreme Court’s decision has laid to rest the argument that the FOI Act is not applicable in Kwara State due to lack of domestication.
“For several years, our FOI requests were denied on the grounds that the Act wasn’t domesticated in Kwara. The Supreme Court has now put that argument to rest. States can no longer hide behind technicalities to block access to public records,” he said.
Alagbonsi did not mince words in his criticism of the Kwara State House of Assembly, accusing the lawmakers of betraying public trust. “The current Assembly does not have the spirit of the people in mind. They are not a House of the people but a House of the Governor,” he declared.
He expressed disappointment with the Kwara State House of Assembly, stating that they prioritize protecting executive interests over championing transparency and accountability. He cited the FOI Bill, which was passed by the 8th Assembly in May 2019 but was returned to the 9th Assembly with proposed amendments and eventually allowed to lapse. The proposed amendments included extending the response period from 7 to 14 days, increasing fines from N100,000 to N500,000, and changing the penalty from “fine or jail” to “fine and jail”.
The group urges the Kwara State Government to comply with the Supreme Court ruling and grant citizens access to public records, emphasizing that the public has a constitutional right to know how resources are being managed, adding that this is not optional but a matter of law.
The organization is also calling on journalists, civil society groups, and legal advocates to work together to ensure the ruling’s gains are fully realized in Kwara State, Alagbonsi concluded.
