The Owerri Division of the Federal High Court has ordered Imo State House of Assembly to pay N300,000.00 costs to Ikedi Agunkwu, Esq. for refusing to comply with a request for an information the lawyer made to it under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

Recall that Ikedi Agunkwu, Esq, dragged the Imo State House of Assembly and its clerk to the Federal High Court, Owerri in Suit No: FHC/OW/CS/128/2020 (IKEDI AGUNKWU, ESQ. VS. IMO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY &  ANOR.), when the latter treated with disdain a letter he wrote to them, requesting to know the monthly salary and the monthly allowance/office running cost which a member of Imo State House of Assembly receives. He stated that the said letter was informed by the Solicitor – Client interview he had with his clients.

Delivering the judgment on the 25th May, 2022, Hon. Justice M.A. Onyetenu declared that the Plaintiff is entitled in law to request for an information which is in the custody or possession of the Defendants as guaranteed under Section 1(1), (2) & (3) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

The learned Judge said that the Defendants have completely defaulted and/or failed in their statutory duties as encapsulated in Section 4(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

Justice Onyetenu ordered the Defendants to make a reply to the Plaintiff’s request with regard to the salary/allowance/office running cost of Imo State House of Assembly members.

The Judge ordered the Imo State House of Assembly and its clerk to pay the sum of N300,000.00 as costs of this suit to the lawyer.

Briefing our correspondent after the judgment, Agunkwu said that “The judgment is a landmark in Freedom of Information Law in Nigeria”. Agunkwu, further stated that he is satisfied with the judgment but, he may appeal the judgment to the Court of Appeal only on ground of quantum of costs awarded to him which he described as “infinitesimal”.

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