From Ochei Matthew, Asaba
A High Court sitting in Kwele in Ndokwa West local area of Delta state has convicted Commissioner for Lands and survey Delta state, Dan Okenyi, for withholding information under the Freedom of Information Act.
The court before Judge Jalogho-Williams said that as a public officer, the commissioner and the ministry acted against the FOI.
He stressed that they were obliged to release the relevant documents to the community leaders and awarded N200, 000 as cost of the suit against the commissioner.
Okenyi, who was second respondent in the case and four others, was therefore convicted of “wilful denial of requested record/documents/information in the custody of the Ministry of Lands and Survey.”
The case was in connection with failure to release relevant land documents to community leaders from Umu-Okpala Omai family of Umusam community in Kwale.
The community leaders, relying on the FOI Act, had written to the ministry and other relevant officials to demand records of land acquired by an oil firm, Midwestern Oil and Gas PLC at Umusadege marginal oil field in OML 56.
The commissioner, along with his ministry, Permanent Secretary in the ministry and others were ordered by the court to pay N2.5million.
They were also ordered to henceforth provide relevant land records and information to the community leaders in line with the FOI Act.
Reacting to the judgement, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Peter Mrakpor, told newsmen in Asaba that the conviction was based on personal ground and not as a Delta state worker or official
He said: “The commissioner that was convicted was based on personal ground not a state worker but even at that, we are studying the case file to know where to come in.”
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