By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja –
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted a Handball Veteran Chief Benjamin Ewaoche Obe (the Ojemeri 1 of Ojira) leave to challenge the refusal of the President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) Mr. Sam Ocheho and the Secretary General of the Federation Alhaji Muhammed Maigidansanma to provide him with sundry information and records concerning financial and general management of the Handball Federation of Nigeria from the year 2017 when Mr. Ocheho assumed leadership of the Federation to date.
Justice I. E. Ekwo issued an order granting leave to Chief Obe who is the Secretary of the Confluence of Chairman of Handball Associations of the North Central Geopolitical Zone, following a motion ex-parte brought on his behalf by his counsel Terence Vembe Esq, a member of the Network of Freedom of Information Lawyers.
Joined in the suit as 3rd Defendant is the Honourable Minister of Sports, Sunday Akin Dare and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are joined as 4th, 5th and 6th Respondents respectively.
Chief Obe who played professional Handball in several countries abroad finally retiring after his sojourn in Cyprus is asking the Court inter alia for:
A DECLARATION that the failure and/or refusal of Mr. Ocheho, Alhaji Maigidansanma and Mr. Sunday Akin Dare to disclose or make available to him the information requested by him in his letter to them dated 12th day of October, 2021 constitutes a violation of the his right of access to Information established and guaranteed by Section 1(1) & 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
A DECLARATION that the failure and/or refusal of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents to disclose or make available to the him the information requested by him in his letter to them dated 12th day of October, 2021amounts to wrongful denial of access to information under Section 7 (4) and (5) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS compelling the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents to disclose or make available to him forthwith printed copies or photocopies or relevant soft copies of all the information listed in his letter dated 12th day of October, 2021 and received by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents on the same day, namely:
Details of the sponsorship deal between the Handball Federation of Nigeria and Prudent Energy Limited (Sponsors of the Prudent Energy Handball Premier League). Further the following specific information regarding the Annual Prudent Energy Handball Premier League for the years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021:
Copies of all documents evidencing the sponsorship agreement details, including the sponsorship sum, the sponsorship currency, the effective (start) date of the sponsorship agreement(s) and the end date of the sponsorship agreement(s), the terms and conditions of the sponsorship agreement(s), payment schedule, the payment terms, etc;
Detailed breakdown of all sums of money received from the sponsor by the Federation on account of the sponsorship deal, in which account all such monies were paid, and a detailed breakdown of how same was expended.
Detailed breakdown of all items and equipment other than money provided by the sponsor as part of the sponsorship deal and how such items and equipment were disbursed.
Detailed list of teams that attended the competition and how the teams were selected, detailed list of all players that were registered for the competition in every year, how much was paid on each player as registration fees and into which accounts the payments were made etc.
A comprehensive list of all Prudent Energy Handball League players that have transferred from one club to another from 2017 to 2021, which club they transferred to, which year each transfer was made, how much was paid to the Federation on each of the players as transfer fees and the bank account of the Federation in which the transfer fees were paid into.
Copies of minutes of the meetings of the Board of the Handball Federation of Nigeria at which the above sponsorship agreement(s) with Prudent Energy Limited, expenditures and general modalities for hosting the said competitions were approved.
Annual budget of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) for the years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Detailed Breakdown of the actual sums of money received from the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development by the Federation for its programs for the years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 budgetary provisions.
Detailed Breakdown of all expenditures of the Handball Federation of Nigeria of the aforementioned sums of money received from the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development by the Federation for its programs and on what event or competition same was spent for the years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Copies of minutes of the meetings of the Board of the Handball Federation of Nigeria at which the above expenditures were approved.
A detailed list of all competitions organized by the Handball Federation of Nigeria showing where they took place, who sponsored same, which teams attended, how much was spent on organizing same, the profit if any made by the Federation from same during the years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
List of all international competitions attended by the Junior and Senior National Handball Teams (all age categories, male and female) in the years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, where the teams were camped for the said competitions and for how long, who sponsored the teams to the said competitions, details of how much the Federation spent on such competitions and how the teams finished at such competitions.
A comprehensive list of all Nigerian players that have transferred to foreign clubs from 2017 to 2021, which club they transferred to and in which country, which year each transfer was made, how much was paid to the Federation on each of the players as transfer fee, which account of the Federation the transfer fees were paid into, how the cumulative transfer fees were spent and for what purpose, copies of minutes of the meetings of the Board of the Handball Federation of Nigeria at which the expenditures from the transfer fees were approved.
Details of all grants received by the Handball Federation of Nigeria (including all air tickets refunds and subsidies) from the Confederation of African Handball (CAHB) and the International Handball Federation (IHF), in which accounts of the Federation such monies were paid, on which date and in which year such monies were paid etc;
List of all bank accounts operated by the Federation from 2017 to 2021, which banks and branches the said bank accounts are domiciled, comprehensive statements of accounts of all bank accounts operated by the Federation.
AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS directing the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to initiate and diligently carry out detailed investigation into the activities of the Handball Federation of Nigeria and its officials particularly the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents during the years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 with special concentration on his areas of concern as enumerated in his Freedom of information request to the Ocheho, Maigidansanma and Sunday Akin Dare dated 12th day of October, 2021 with a view to arraigning and diligently prosecuting them if indicted.
Chief Obe who is popularly known as Peblow stated that the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) receives grants from the Confederation of African Handball (CAHB) and the International Handball Federation (IHF) to the tune of several millions but such grants and subsidies are never paid into any government account or that of the Federation but are quietly and discretely shared by the HFN President, Secretary General and Ministry officials. He said even the mega million-naira sponsorship deal of the Premier Handball League sponsored by Prudent Energy is shrouded in secrecy.
He further alleged that other incomes of the Federation including from transfer of players from Nigeria to foreign clubs and sponsorship deals are never disclosed by Ocheho and Maigidansanma to the Board of the Federation and such sums of money never get to the accounts of the Federation or any government account.
Throwing more light on the Freedom of information Act, 2021, Chief Obe’s counsel Terence Vembe, Esq who is himself a and ex-International Handball Player elucidated that: Nigeria is one of over 150 countries in the world including 10 in Africa, that have enacted national laws or decrees that recognized the right of its citizens to access information or records held by government. He further said that generally, access to information is widely recognized as a corner stone of good governance and an important anti-corruption tool.
Mr. Vembe known for his thunder bolt standing shots in is hay days on the handball court told our correspondent that these Right to Information (RTI) Laws also known as Freedom of Information or Access to Information Acts primarily aims at regulating the proactive disclosure of information and the mechanism through which citizens can request information from public institutions and receive same without hindrance. The laws he said, define the scope as well as the exceptions and refusals to access information.
He further explained that there is a broad consensus globally that access to information is important for the prevention and detection of corruption by making information available and promoting transparency and accountability. These laws are also expected to improve public services by allowing citizens to engage more meaningfully in public life. According to him there is endemic corruption deeply engrained in sports and its about time the FOI Act is applied to sporting federations.
The suit was adjourned 13th day of January, 2021 as Justice Ekwo directed the Applicant to serve the Respondents with their motion on Notice at least fourteen days before the adjourned ate.
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