Senate to Conduct Public Hearing on FOI Bill in June

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze has disclosed that his Committee has chosen to conduct a public hearing on the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill pending before the National Assembly on June 2, 2008

Sen. Eze told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that his Committee has been doing a lot of work underground and is ready for the final public hearing before it presents its report to the Senate.

He said: "We will invite the critical stakeholders so that we can give it a final polishing before returning it to the Senate.

"We have not rushed work on the bill because it is such a sensitive bill that touches on the lives and liberties of Nigerians.

"It is an assignment that should be done thoroughly and carefully".

He expressed optimism that the Senate would pass the bill after the public hearing had been conducted.

"What happened at the House of Representatives has been misrepresented because the legislators have been rescheduling the debate on the bill as a result of exigencies," he said.

"The last time the bill could not be taken because the sponsor was absent, but they have expressed their readiness to process the bill and pass it.

So, I am sure that there will be no problem," he added. Eze said the Senate committee was taking its time to ensure that "a good work was done on the bill."

"It is not just about rushing the work because when we rush it, it will be sent back to us again and that will be a slap on us," he said.