• National Issue Newspapers seeks clarification on state revenue accruals from June 2023 to October 2026
The Ebonyi State Government has been accused of restricting the submission of official correspondence at the Government House, Centenary City, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by National Issue Newspapers seeking details of the state’s total revenue accruals.
The alleged development comes after the newspaper formally requested comprehensive information on the total revenue received by the state government between June 30, 2023, and October 2026, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
The request was reportedly followed by a pre-action notice issued to the state government over its handling of the information request.
Sources at the Government House alleged that clerical officers had become reluctant to receive memoranda and other official correspondence from members of the public who are not government officials.
According to the sources, even documents presented by government officials are subjected to preliminary scrutiny before they are accepted.
The alleged restriction has reportedly left some visitors and members of the public stranded at the Government House, raising concerns about public access to government offices and the channels through which citizens can communicate with the state administration.
Although it remains unclear whether the development resulted from an official directive by the state government or an administrative decision by officials at the Government House, the situation has generated questions about the accessibility of public institutions.
Meanwhile, legal consultants to National Issue Newspapers have reportedly cautioned the state government against any action that could obstruct the lawful submission of correspondence.
They maintained that the issuance of a pre-action notice should not be used as a justification for restricting members of the public from submitting official documents through established government channels.
The legal consultants also noted that there are several lawful procedures for serving court processes and other legal documents on government institutions, stressing that refusing to receive ordinary correspondence would neither prevent legal proceedings nor resolve the outstanding FOI request.
The controversy has renewed attention on transparency, accountability and the public’s right to access information concerning the management of public resources.
The Freedom of Information Act, 2011, was enacted to promote transparency in governance and ensure that public institutions are accountable for their activities and the utilisation of public funds.
Under the law, citizens and organisations are entitled to request information held by public institutions, subject to the exemptions provided by the Act.
The newspaper’s request specifically seeks details of the revenue that accrued to Ebonyi State within the period under review, an issue of public interest given the state’s statutory allocations and internally generated revenue.
As the controversy unfolds, attention is expected to focus on whether the Ebonyi State Government will clarify the alleged restrictions at the Government House and provide a response to the newspaper’s request.
The state government has yet to issue an official clarification on the alleged restriction as of the time of filing this report.
The central question remains whether the government will make the requested revenue information available in the spirit of transparency and accountability.
