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FOI Act: Government urged to set up implementation panel

By Margeret Mwantok
06 June 2016   |   5:06 am
For effective implementation of the FOI Act in Nigeria, a coalition has called on the Federal Government to set up an inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholder Committee on the implementation of Nigeria...
Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami

Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami

For effective implementation of the FOI Act in Nigeria, a coalition has called on the Federal Government to set up an inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholder Committee on the implementation of Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

This was one of the submissions of a roundtable organized for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society, Media and Legal practitioners on FOI Act implementation in Nigeria by Justice for All/DFID.

“The MDAs Roundtable was aimed at increasing their compliance with the FOI Act, while those of the CSOs were aimed at increasing their use of the Act to demand for accountability from public institutions. They were all held in the last quarter of 2015 and we are already seeing results. It was possible by the collaboration between Media Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption-MIIVOC, FOI Coalition, Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Justice and Justice for All/DFID.

“Following the successful outing, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN had a meeting with the leadership of the FOI Coalition in Nigeria, being part of follow-up activities from the J4a-funded Roundtable. We recommended, among other things, the setting up of a special (standing) FOI implementation Committee, made up of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Civil Society, Ministry of Information, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and other relevant institutions, as well as professional bodies to review the issues on FOI implementation and advise on an ongoing basis; including continuous capacity building activities for public officials on FOI Act implementation.

“We also recommended that a special FOI intervention/implementation fund be introduced and deliberate steps taken to address the challenge of funding hindering major stakeholders, including the FMOJ from taking some strategic steps in enhancing FOIA implementation. The strategy for achieving this shall be well thought out by the proposed committee.

“That an annual Award/Reward be introduced to recognize MDAs and Nigerians that distinguish themselves in the use of the FOI Act. The Reward system will engender competition. That, steps be taken to include FOI in the Curriculum of higher Institutions in Nigeria (including Nigerian Law School).

“That capacity building programmes for Judges and Judicial officers be expediently undertaken by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and in partnership with relevant stakeholders with the ultimate goal of creating rules and directives that will ease undue delays and assist processes brought to court pursuant to the FOI Act, 2011.”

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