By Emmanuel Udom, Lagos
Media Rights Agenda, a Lagos- based non-governmental organisation
has assured that if people in Nigeria make use of the Freedom of Information, FOI Act, 2011, to obtain official information
from government agencies and private companies, it could eventually open-up governance, tackle corruption and
ensure the delivery of democracy
dividends to the people of the country.
Edetaen Ojo, executive director, MRA gave this
assurance during a 2-day workshop oganised by his NGO in collaboration with The MacArthur Foundation at Kakanfo Inn and
Conference Center, Ibadan, Oyo state, south-west Nigeria.
Ojo reminded
the more than 50 practicing journalists drawn from south-west states in Nigeria
that participated in the workshop, that the
FOIA 2011, which came into being when former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed it
into law is meant for every person to use in obtaining information from government
at the local, state and federal levels in Nigeria.
His words: The Act is not meant for
journalists alone, but for anybody in Nigeria that is interested in obtaining credible
and reliable information from government agencies or private firms.
According
to him, people seeking information must write to the targeted agency or company
and state in clear terms what exactly they want and request that the information
should be delivered to him or her within seven days through phones, stated address,
email or text
message, failure which legal options may be explored.
Speaking further,
the MRA boss said that it was victory for democracy when the FOI bill was
eventually signed into law, now known as FOI Act 2011.
“But, people
have to use the Act to obtain information from government agencies and private
firms in order to open-up governance for citizen participations, follow cases
of corruption and abuse of powers, question government and its agencies on reasons
for misappropriations, or diversion of public funds and eventually ensures that
the mush trumpeted democracy dividends are delivered to the common man in
Nigeria”, said.
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