Lorine Emenike
The Rivers State Director, National Orientation Agency, Barr. Young Ayotamuno has called on the support of both government and citizens in the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI Act).
The state NOA boss made this call at a one-day workshop organized by the agency in Port Harcourt.
The workshop engaged state MDA’s representatives, various civil society organizations in the state and journalists from various media houses to ensure adequate implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI Act).
The Rivers state NOA director while speaking to journalist at the end of the workshop said the FOI Act was passed into law since 2011 to strip governance and administration of its traditional veil of secrecy and to ensure greater openness, transparency and accessibility as well as Foster citizens inclusiveness and participation in governance as stakeholder’s in the Nigerian project.
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He advised citizens to be proactive in exercising their civil rights in requiring public information from concerned agencies or other bodies, as it is their right as citizens to do so.
“It is our individual and collective responsibility to make sure that we succeed in furthering the cause of the FOI Act which is better management of information and accessibility of information to the citizens”
He further stated that the FOI Act has been translated into various Nigerian languages like Igbo language, Hausa, Yoruba and more, this is to further project the awareness and relevance of the FOI ACT amongst citizens.
Amongst shared suggestions by attendees of the workshop was the repealing of the oat of secrecy binding civil servants which opaques them from giving out necessary information needed by citizens especially journalists while carrying out their duties.
The state NOA director promised to project the repeal of the oat of secrecy to the National for needed attention.
Barr. Ayotamuno further advised that all hands must be on deck if FOI Act must be a success.
On his part, Hon. Alfred Adonye Allison, a participant at the workshop said ” in capturing this law (FOI Act) we should consider the literacy level in the country, how do we mobilize the people to make sure that this law has come to stay?
“We don’t care when things happen, we run away from our rights and privileges and that is as a result of what the people have seen over time.
“NOA should repeal the civil service oat of secrecy at the National level in order to expunge this oat of secrecy and amend it. The decision of any court of competent jurisdiction is until when it is overturned.
“As long as you are rendering public service, you are duty-bound to give out information, if it fails, you can take the leadership to court. Nigerians should wake up to their rights and privileges as much as they have to wake up to their civil duties, it is very important”
