Tina Amanda
Journalists in Rivers State have been urged to take up the advocacy lead of promoting Freedom of Information Act (FOI), in order to strengthen transparency, good service delivery and accountability in governance.
Executive Director, Community Conciliation and Development Initiative, Kelechi Amaechi, who stated this during a one day Freedom of Information Training organised for Journalists in Port Harcourt, by Social Action, said lack of awareness has hampered Freedom of Information Act enacted since May 2011.
He maintained that the lack of publicity and awareness of Freedom of Information has hindered enforcement of the Act, thereby limiting the public from holding the government and various public office holders accountable.
Amaechi emphasized that every citizen in Nigeria has the right to request and to be given access to public information from any government agencies.
“Since 2011 that this Act was enacted, we have seen very low activation and compliance to the Act. We strongly believe that journalists are primary stakeholders in promoting and publicizing FOI to citizens so they can begin to hold government accountable.
“If people get to know the potency and content of the Act, enforcing it will no longer suffer setback. People need to know what they can achieve using the FOI Act.
“I want the media to take the lead on this advocacy to enlighten the people to begin to request for public information, not just public information including information in private hands that have connection with government resources. Private institutions that are using government funds to carry out their businesses as covered by the Act.
“If you have company A that has taken money from the government to construct a road, you can actually use this Act to request information from the company and they are bound by this law to comply and give you access to the information seek”.
Also, the Staff Attorney Social Action, Arochukwu Paul, said every citizen who seek for information under the Freedom of Information Act and is denied to such information has right to go to court within 30 days of denial.
“The essence is to put track on political accountability, ensure citizens are aware and follow up the governance process.
“Where a government agency or department refuses or neglects to respond to Freedom of Information request within the stipulated period or refuses to channel it to another agency or department when they are not the people holding such information, the citizen who desires the information has the right to go to court to mandate the court department to release the information required and the right of citizens to do this cut across all public institutions.
“If you give a Freedom of Information request, you are supposed to get a reply in seven (7) days, however you can do a reminder seven days later, after which you are expected to go to court within thirty (30) days. Where you do not go to court within the stipulated period of thirty days from the last seven days, your matter will become incompetent before the court and struck out or dismissed”.
