THE Ecological Project Office has failed to provide information on the amount released for ecological projects in Kwara State in 2021 and 2022.

The Ecological Project Office is an arm of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), chaired by the Permanent Secretary.

The role of the Office is to fund and carry out projects that would address ecological issues in the country.

The ICIR had sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated June 26, seeking detailed information on the ecological projects carried out by the agency in Kwara State within the last two years.

The request was acknowledged. However, seven days after an FOI request was submitted, the Office is yet to respond.

This contradicts the Freedom of Information Act established in 2011, which dictates that all Public institutions must provide any required information upon request.

Section 1, sub-section 1 of the FOIA says, “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any Public official, Agency or institution howsoever described, is established.”

Section 2(4): “Public institutions shall ensure that information referred to in this section is widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the Public through various means, including print, electronic and online sources, and at the offices of such Public institutions.

Section 5, sub-section 1 also says, “Where a Public institution receives an application for access to information, and the institution is of the view that another Public institution has greater interest in the information, the institution to which the application is made may within three days but not later than seven days after the application is received, transfer the application, and if necessary, the information, to the other Public institution, in which case, the institution transferring the application shall give written notice of the transfer to the applicant, which notice shall contain a statement informing the applicant that such decision to transfer the application can be reviewed by the Court.”