Okonjo-Iweala faces contempt charge over statutory transfers

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
| credits: File copy

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is facing a contempt charge for disobeying a judgement on statutory transfers delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in respect of a suit filed by the Centre for Social Justice.

This follows a Notice of Consequences of disobedience to court order dated April 29 served the minister by the FHC.

The court through an order of mandamus dated February 25 compelled Okonjo-Iweala to grant the group access to the details of the statutory transfers in the 2013 Appropriation Act.

The details of the transfers granted are for the National Judicial Council, Niger Delta Development Commission, Universal Basic Education, National Assembly, Independent National Electoral Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.

Justice Abdul Kafarati had on February 25 granted the relief that denying the applicant access to the details of the statutory transfers in the 2013 Appropriation Act by the respondent without explanation constituted an infringement to the applicant’s right as guaranteed and protected by Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

The court also declared that the continued refusal of the respondents to grant the applicant access to details of the statutory transfers in the 2013 Appropriation Act despite the applicant’s demand violated Section 4 of the FOI Act.

Shedding more light on the court proceedings, the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyekpere, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja that since the order was made, the minister had refused to comply with it.

He said, “Since the order was made, the minister has refused and neglected to comply with the order of the honourable court.

“Counsel to the applicant, Mr. Kingsley Nnajiaka, even wrote a letter to the minister on the need to comply with the order of the court.

“Series of meetings were held in the minister’s office without success. With this notice, the minister has two days to comply with the order of the honourable court or risk being committed for contempt of court.”

The group had demanded for a breakdown of the lump sums earmarked in the 2012 budget as statutory transfers.

These include the N150bn for the National Assembly; N85bn for the NJC; while the NDDC, UBE and INEC were allocated N54bn, N68bn and N40bn, respectively.

The group said the details were necessary for the public to be in a position to determine the propriety or otherwise of some huge provisions in the budget at a time when the people were being called upon to make sacrifices.