Media Rights
Agenda (MRA), an institution that promotes the right to freedom of expression
and access to information, has accused the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority
(NCAA) of indulging in needless spending of the nation’s money.
According to
the organization, the NCAA uses taxpayers’ money illegally and for reasons not
connected to the purpose and vision for its establishment. MRA also accused the
NCAA of funding court cases fighting requests for the disclosure of information
by hiring lawyers to “assist its efforts to advance an illegal and
unjustifiable culture of secrecy.”
Organizations
and individuals who have attempted to question the NCAA on how its funds are
spent include the West African Bar Association, Enough Is Enough, Public and
Private Development Centre, the Zero Corruption Coalition, Femi Falana, and
MRA.
“MRA noted
that since 2011 when the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed into law,
the NCAA has failed to comply with its duties and obligations under the Act,
saying that the agency prefers to squander public resources in fighting any
request for the disclosure of information by engaging the services of lawyers
to assist its efforts to advance an illegal and unjustifiable culture of
secrecy,” the group said.
MRA urged
the aviation authority to disclose to the public the ways in which it spends
its funds and urged the presidency to make an inquiry to reveal how much the
NCAA has spent on litigations.
“An agency
that performs such important functions and activities as the NCAA should be
open and transparent. The Buhari administration should direct an investigation
into a number of public funds that the NCAA has wasted in unjustifiable
litigations aimed at avoiding its duties and obligations under the FOI Act and
ensure that the funds are recovered from those officials responsible for every
decision not to comply with the law in all cases resulting in legal expenses,”
MRA said.
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