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Government Information Officers Seek Empowerment for
Effective Implementation of Freedom of Information Law
Government Information
Officers at Federal, State and Local Government levels have
proposed a range of administrative and institutional reforms
in the public service to ensure the effective implementation
of the Freedom of Information Bill, when it becomes law.
The information officers
who participated in four training Workshops on Freedom of
Information for Public Information Officers held in
different parts of the country noted that the present
information management habits and practices of government
ministries, departments and agencies would hamper the
effective implementation of the proposed law if no
comprehensive reform is undertaken.
The first workshop, for
information officers from Federal Government ministries,
departments and agencies, was held in September 2006 at the
Reiz Continental Hotel in Abuja. The other workshops were
for: information officers from states and local governments
in the northern part of the country (held at the ASAA
Pyramid Hotel in Kaduna from January 15 to 18, 2007);
information officers from states and local governments in
the south east and south-south zones (held at All Seasons
Hotel, Owerri, Imo State, from January 22 to 25, 2007); and
information officers from states and local governments in
the south west (held at Lafia Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State, from
January 29 to February 1, 2007).
The workshops were
organized by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) with support from the
Global Opportunities Fund managed by the UK Government’s
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.
The workshops were organized
in the context of the imminent adoption of the Freedom of
Information Act in Nigeria. The Freedom of Information Bill,
which has been pending before the National Assembly since
1999, was passed by the House of Representatives on August
25, 2004 and later by the Senate on November 15, 2006. The
Bill seeks to give every Nigerian citizen a right of access
to information held by public bodies and private bodies
carrying out public functions.
The main objective of the
workshops was to raise the profile of access to information
in Nigeria and broaden the support base for the Bill by
sensitizing public information officers about a regime of
access to information. In particular, the workshops were
intended to:
·
Raise
awareness among public information officers in Government
ministries, departments, institutions and agencies about the
existence of the Bill;
·
Familiarize
public information officers with the content of the Bill,
its objectives, relevance and benefits to Nigeria’s
economic, social and political interests;
·
Discuss
concrete ways in which public information officers can
contribute to the effective implementation of the proposed
law;
·
Develop
strategies for broadening the constituency of support for
the Bill, including how to create greater awareness within
Government ministries, departments, institutions and
agencies about it; and
·
Initiate a
process which can trigger the development, within Government
ministries, departments, institutions and agencies, of
appropriate policies and procedures to facilitate the
effective implementation of the freedom of information law.
The topics addressed at the
workshops were: “What is Freedom of Information?” “Basic
Principles of Freedom of Information Laws”, “Freedom of
Information Around the World: A Global Movement for Access”,
“The Freedom of Information Bill: Key Issues in the Bill”,
“The Freedom of Information Bill: Historical Background”,
“Challenges to Effective Implementation of a Freedom of
Information Act”, “Potential Benefits of a Freedom of
Information Law”, “Freedom of Information and the Media.”
There was also a
brainstorming session on “The Role of Public Information
Officers in the Implementation of a Freedom of Information
Act”, while the participants also carried group exercises in
break-out session on “Strategies for Improving Record
Management in Government Ministries, Departments and
Agencies”, “Developing Mechanisms for Processing Requests
for Information from Members of the Public” and “Strategies
for Creating Awareness about the Freedom of Information Bill
or Act in Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies”.
The participants also
viewed three video documentaries on how rural communities as
well as individuals and professionals from various sectors
are using the Right to Information Act in India to empower
themselves.
Participants in all the
workshops were unanimous that information in the form of
records or documents, held by government does not belong to
the government itself but rather, that it belongs to the
people and is held in custody by the government for the
people. As a result, they agreed, members of the public
should have a right of access to such information, except
where it is necessary to protect certain types of sensitive
information in accordance with internationally recognized
standards.
The information officers
noted and recommended as follows:
·
Every
citizen has the right to request for information and be
given access to records and documents under the control of
government or public institution. However, in order to give
effect to this, it is necessary that mechanisms be put in
place for processing requests for information facilitating
easy access to such information. Accordingly, and given the
provisions of the proposed law, a standardized form should
be designed by all government ministries, departments and
agencies for members of the public seeking records and
documents.
·
The
systematic exclusion of information officers from management
meetings of their respective ministries, departments and
agencies is inimical to their effectiveness in disseminating
information to members of the public. They therefore
suggested that information officers, regardless of their
level in service, should be allowed to participate in the
management meetings of their respective public institutions
so that they can have fuller information and a better
understanding of the decisions taken by their organizations
in order to function more effectively in providing access to
information for members of the public. In addition, the
information officers should have access to copies of
circulars and memos coming in or going out of the ministry,
department or agency.
·
Inadequate funding and resources can limit the effective
implementation of the Freedom of Information law.
Accordingly, adequate funds should be voted for
information-related matters, especially the implementation
of the Freedom of Information law.
·
Governments at all levels should provide information
officers with up-to-date facilities for the processing and
release of information to the public. In particular, they
recommended that computers should be procured and installed
in the information units of all ministries, departments and
agencies and that there should be a centralized database
through which information officers can be updated about
developments in the organizations.
-
Government officials,
particularly information officers, should be trained on
the use of new information technologies, records keeping
and data management to equip them with the skills
required for the effective implementation of a freedom
of information regime.
-
The Official Secrets
Act inhibits the right of access to information and
should be reviewed. The Nigerian Law Reform Commission,
which is charged with the responsibility for the review
of all archaic laws in the country, should take action
in this regard.
-
A system of
classification of records and documents held by Federal
Government ministries, departments, institutions and
agencies should be introduced so that information
officers dealing with requests for information from
members of the public will be better guided on what
records or documents are classified and should not be
released to the public.
·
Each
state ministry, department or agency should have its own
website, which should be regularly updated, to facilitate
and ease information flow between them and the public.
·
Many
state ministries, departments and agencies lack archival
units and facilities, which makes record storage and
management difficult. Accordingly, each ministry,
department or agency should have its own archival unit.
Such archives should be properly maintained and should be
manned by qualified professionals.
-
SERVICOM should extend
its service delivery philosophy and requirements to
cover records management and the implementation of a
Freedom of Information regime. Effective and efficient
systems for the storage of records in Federal Government
ministries, departments, institutions and agencies
should be developed to eliminate the incessant
disappearance or loss of official records and documents.
·
All
government ministries, departments and agencies should adopt
various methods for creating awareness about the Freedom of
Information law, especially among senior management staff.
In particular, workshops and seminars on the Freedom of
Information law should be organized for different categories
of civil servants, with special emphasis on Information
Officers and Legal Advisers. Copies of the Freedom of
Information Bill/Act should also be circulated to all
Federal ministries, parastatals and agencies.
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