FOI: Group Demands information on FCT land allocation, recruitment process into VIO

… Threatens to take action if requests are not met

A group, under the umbrella of the FCT Youth Stakeholders Forum, has petitioned the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA), Mr Olusade Adesola, over harmonisation of revenues generated by the six area councils in the FCT.

In the petition dated August 2, with the caption “RE: Application for Information/Records/Documents Under the Freedom of Information Act”, the group demanded for details of land allocation in the FCT.

The petition was signed by Suleiman A Ango, Zakari Gambo Babale, Zaka Nehemiah, Yusuf Nadabo, Opeyemi Ismail and Ahmed Mohammed Sanni.

The group said that the letter is a follow up to a previous letter dated 20th July 2023, which was received the same day, but with no official response, which prompted the forum to invokedl the Freedom of Information Act 2011 to request for the aforementioned information.

The letter read: “Warm Greetings to you on behalf of the leadership and entire membership of the FCT Youth Stakeholders’ Forum.

“Recall our earlier correspondence dated 20th July 2023 and received the same day on the above subject. Kindly accept this letter as a reminder of the earlier correspondence as no official response has been received from your office. To ensure transparency and accountability in governance, the forum had invoked the Freedom of Information Act 2011 to request for information on the following:

“1. Comprehensive Information on Harmonization of Revenue Generation: We request detailed information on the harmonization of revenue generation between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Area Council as being proposed. Specifically, we seek comprehensive data on the steps taken to harmonize revenue generation, the funds allocated for this purpose, and the progress made in achieving the objectives of harmonization. As it has come to public attention that revenue generation of the FCTA has not been properly harmonized and accounted for, we request detailed records on the measures taken by the FCTA to address this issue.

“2. Details of Land Allocation in the Past 1 Year: We request the names and details of all land allocations that have been made within the past one year by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). This should include information on the beneficiaries, the size and location of the allocated land, and any associated documentation related to the allocations.

“3. Names and State of Origin of Recent VIO Recruitment Beneficiaries: We request the names and state of origin of all recently recruited beneficiaries into the Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) positions within the Federal Capital Territory. Additionally, we seek any relevant information on the recruitment process, including the criteria used for selection and any available documentation related to the recruitment exercise.”

They added: “We understand that under the Act, we are entitled to a response within 7 working days of your receipt of the application, it is imperative to note that by our calendar the 7 working days lapsed on 31st of July 2023. Against this background, we wish to state categorically that in case the cause of the delay in compliance is the cost of printing and duplication, we are willing to pay any fees that would be incurred as a result of complying with this application, but we remind you of the provision of section 8 of the Act, which clearly states that fees ‘…shall be limited to Standard charges for document duplication and Fees transcription where necessary’ .

“If upon review of this application, the decision is taken to transfer the request to another agency or a higher authority, we request that you provide us with written notice of this in the manner as prescribed by the Act, and within the prescribed timeframe.

“If our request is denied in whole or in part, we request that you justify such denial or all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the Act.

“We reserve the right to appeal your decision as guaranteed by the Act and remind you of the provisions of the Act which state that any request not actioned within the prescribed timeframe will be deemed as a denial of the request.

“We look forward to receiving this information as soon as possible.”