A federal high court in Abuja has declined a request seeking to compel the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to disclose details of the discharge certificate of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, Joyce Abdulmalik, the
presiding judge, held that the ex parte application did not meet the
requirements of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.
The application was filed by Emorioloye Owolemi, an
activist, through his counsel, Philemon Yakubu.
Brought pursuant to order 34 of the Federal High Court
(Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and sections 1, 20 and 21 of the FOI Act 2011, the
motion sought the court’s leave to inquire into the legality of the minister’s
NYSC discharge certificate.
Owolemi specifically asked the court for an order of
mandamus directing the NYSC management to release information contained in a
letter dated November 17, 2025, regarding the minister’s discharge certificate.
The applicant also asked the court to compel the scheme to
provide monthly clearance records from the location where Tunji-Ojo reportedly
served prior to his alleged abscondment, as well as bank account details and
financial information submitted during his 2006 NYSC registration.
He further sought all monthly allowance payment logs,
including dates, amounts, bank schedules and the accounts to which payments
were made, alongside official documentation showing the date, nature and status
of the minister’s alleged abscondment.
Other documents requested included internal memos, queries,
disciplinary reports or correspondence relating to the alleged abscondment, in
addition to registration, posting, deployment and service records tied to the
minister’s 2006 service year.
However, the judge held that the applicant did not
demonstrate that he was acting in the public interest, as required under the
FOI Act, and consequently declined the request.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Yakubu said he
would consult with his client on the next line of action.
He added that his client’s objective is to promote
transparency, accountability and probity among public office holders in the
country.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com