Cross Section of Nigerians Condemn House of Representatives For Failure to Pass FOI Bill.

Individuals and institutions in Nigeria cutting across social, religious, political, economic and ethnic divide have risen in unison to condemn the failure of the House of Representatives to take the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill at the Committee of the whole (Third Reading) on April 29 and May 7. They have also added their voices in the campaign for the National Assembly to pass the Bill without further delay as they believe the Bill will help fight Nigeria’s endemic corruption and enhance good governance.

The Newspapers Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN) the umbrella body of newspapers and magazine publishers in Nigeria lampooned the House saying it was disappointed  over the House trivial handling of the Bill, which "showed lack of seriousness with the issues of anti-corruption and accountability which the Bill seeks to entrench."

NPAN, in a statement by its President, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, argued that if the Bill had been passed into law before now, the time-consuming probes embarked upon by the House would not have been necessary since the public would have access to the information on the matters being investigated.

The group said: "By treating lightly such an important tool for bringing about positive change to the Nigerian society, the House members have called to question their commitment to, and the real intentions of, the probes embarked upon by the House, and this should make Nigerians to ask if the (lawmakers) are merely playing to the gallery by instituting one probe after another at huge public expense."

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on its part pledged to take action that would make lawmakers to review their stand. Mr. John Odah, the NLC General Secretary, said: "We will find out what went wrong because the Bill is an important aspect of finding solutions to the problems of Nigeria.

"If we have to fight corruption there must be information that will enable the appropriate authorities to prosecute suspects as well as inform the public on their activities."

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) also faulted the action of the House describing its action as a betrayal of the trust the electorate reposed in it.

Mallam Shu‘aibu Usman Leman, the NUJ National Secretary  in a statement on April 29, 2008, the day the House of Representatives voted against the consideration of the bill, said:

“To continue to delay the passage of this bill is to betray the mandate and confidence of the masses of this country the honourable members represent.”

“We are of the opinion that the House of Representatives should have taken the bull by the horn, by voting overwhelmingly in support of this bill, rather than the present sitting on the fence.

“To say that the bill was put down for another day because members were not disposed to discussing it that day is unfortunate and should not have been allowed to happen.”

The Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO's), the nation’s first generic membership body for civil society organizations in Nigeria frowned at the development saying it was “dismayed that they (House) are already failing us as their constituents- the people of Nigeria".

Barrister Ayo Adebusoye, NNNGO's Secretary General said: "As Civil Society Organizations we remain resolute that the passage of the FOI bill is key to our development as a nation hence it behoves both the upper and the lower house to reconsider their steps, fast-track and expedite action on the passage of the FOI bill, we are confident in their ability to bring to the door steps of the common man the dividends of democracy failing which they will betray the trust that is reposed in them by the common man''

NNNGO said it hopes that the House of Assembly will make true its defense on the bill by ensuring that "the bill is not dead but stood down for consideration later … as new members had not had a chance to review it in the committee of the whole".

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) a body representing over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide called on the Nigerian House of Representatives to stop delaying the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill

Gabriel Baglo, the Director of the IFJ Africa Office said “We are very disappointed by this new rejection without any valid reason of the FOI bill by the House of Representatives.

 “We condemn this setback, which reveals that some members of the House are afraid of a bill that may lead to exposure of corruption and other illegal or unethical activities.”

Alhaji Balarabe Musa, leader of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) carpeted the House saying the excuses it gave so far given for not passing the bill were flimsy and exposed the hypocrisy of the House that has been engaged in public probes of the past administration since the new session started.

“It would amount to sheer hypocrisy if after all the public probes aimed at ushering transparency in governance, members of the House of Representatives are afraid to consider a bill that would eventually be instrumental in making public officers accountable,” he said.

Other prominent Nigerians who have also condemned the failure of the House to debate the Bill in the Committee of the whole and have called on the Lower Chamber  to pas the Bill include The Very Reverend Msgr Gabriel Osu, Prof. Pat Utomi, Concerned Professionals, and Mr. Robert Dewar, the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Reverend Msgr Gabriel Osu described the rejection of the Bill by the House as mockery of Nigeria's democracy. He said: "I support the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill and it is part of what democratic society should be. Unfortunately, we are now knowing the true colours of members of the House, for throwing it out. It is not what we bargained for. If you do not have Freedom of Information Bill, how can you be talking of democracy, how can you be talking of the way forward?"

 The Diocese of Lagos of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in a Communiqué at the end of the second session of the 30^th Synod expressed concern over the halting of debates on the Bill and urged the legislators to expedite action on the Bill which it said would further enhance the nation’s quest for good governance and fiscal responsibility.

Professor Pat Utomi, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the April 2007 general election said “the unnecessary delay in passing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill by the National Assembly was an indication that Nigerian politicians are unwilling to run transparent government”. He added that “the act was a cruel assault on the Nigeria citizens who are at the receiving end of any bad government, and refusal to pass the Bill into law has denied the governed the right to know and influence how they are governed”.
 

Mr. Robert Dewar, the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria asked the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill “to deepen the nation’s democracy.” He spoke at the 2008 edition of the Wole Soyinka Award For Investigative Reporting (WSIRA).

Mr. Dewar said an FOI Act would contribute to openness and freedom in the nation and enable the nation’s democracy to improve. He said “a free media was nourishment to any democracy in any country”.
 

Concerned Professionals in its reaction said it was “dismayed with the cavalier manner the House of Representatives treated the Freedom of Information Bill at the chambers of the Lower House a fortnight ago.  It is more so because the evidently unrepresentative action of the law makers occurred at a time when the mood of the nation was definitive and expectant that the bill that has been in the shelves of the National Assembly since 1999 would finally be passed into law.” 

The group said: “If the law makers are interested in entrenching democracy in Nigeria and empowering the electorate, the one and sure way of doing this is by ensuring the quick passage of the Freedom of Information Bill into law.  Hiding under any form of excuse to stall this is unacceptable to Nigerians as this country belongs both to the government and the vast governed.”