Court dismisses Akume’s suit against Benue government

By David Mzer

A Makurdi High Court Presided over by Justice Augustine Ityonyiman Wednesday struck out a suit filed by one Sesugh Akume against the Benue State government for denying him access to public financial records requested.

Also joined in the suit was the Accountant General of Benue State and three others.

The plaintiff had on September 23,2019 requested for information on the 2019 federation account allocations received by the state from January 2020 to July 2020 from the office of the Accountant General of the state but their was no reply.

Mr Akume also made the same request to the chairman of Logo Local Government Area from January to July of last year but their was no reply which made him drag the defendants to court seeking the interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

However, counsel representing the state, Douglas Pepe, SAN, submitted that the plaintiff, Mr Akume, has no locus standi to institute a suite against the government and prayed the court to dismiss the suit arguing that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

In his judgement, Justice Ityonyiman agreed with the submission of counsel to the state,Pepe, SAN, that the plaintiff has no locus standi to institute the suit adding that their was nothing to show that the plaintiff has suffered special damages.

Justice Ityonyiman held that to have locus standi to sue in public interest litigations the plaintiff must establish evidence of appointment to act in such representative capacity, which is not in the instance suit.

He said that evidence showed that the plaintiff is acting for personal or self-aggrandizement.

He accordingly struck out the suit.