FOI bill: MRA, others task N’ Assembly joint committee

By Kayode Ketefe

The Punch, 17 November 2006

The Media Rights Agenda, the Civil Liberties Organisation, and some media and legal experts have called upon the joint-committee of the National Assembly to expedite action on the Freedom of Information bill so as to make it become a substantive law very soon.

The joint-committee is scheduled to harmonise the positions of the two houses on the bill before it is sent to the President for assent

Other notable media and legal experts who added their voices for speedy work on the bill by the joint-committee included the Editor of the Sun newspaper, Mr. Femi Adesina, a renowned journalist, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, the Chairman of the Ikeja branch of Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Niyi Idowu, and a senior lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation lauded the passage of the bill by the two houses.

While the NLC said the passage of the bill would neither hinder nor jeorpardise national interest, the NBC urged journalists not to see the bill as a licence to violate the NBC code because “freedom is not absolute as certain matters remain classified.”

The positions of NLC and NBC were contained in the statements by their General-Secretary and Acting Director-General, Mr. John Odah, and Mr. Bayo Atoyebi, respectively.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, the Executive Director of the Media Rights Agenda, Mr. Edaaetan Ojo, said “I don’t expect any difficulty on the harmonisation of the bill by the joint-committee since each of the House had worked on and duly passed the bill.

“The House of Representatives passed the bill in August 2004 while the Senate passed it on Wednesday. The bill was passed with slight modifications by the two houses.

“ For example, the House of Representatives provided for an applicant to be given needed information within seven days while in the Senate version, the applicant is to be given the information within “14 working days”

“They are to reconcile these differences expeditiously for the Nigerians to reap the benefits of this important bill on time.”

The Editor of the Sun Newspaper, Mr. Femi Adesina, said, “We have waited so long to have this FOI bill passed into law. There should be no further delay for such a landmark legislation. The two chambers should harmonise their positions on the bill on time, so that it will be sent to the president for assent.”

Adesina who also expressed fears on possible delay at the stage of presidential assent, urged all stakeholders not to relent until the bill became an operative law.

The Head of the Penal Reforms Project of the Civil Liberties Orgainsation, Mr. Princewill Akapanpan, said, “This is one good law that Nigerians ought to have had for long. We are happy that it is here at last. However, there should be no further delay.

“Furthermore, the joint-committee should ensure that some of the exceptions in the bill which make the bill not to apply to certain institutions, like defence and other law enforcement institutions are removed.”