Charles Ajunwa
22 July 2008
Lagos — A group of legal practioners and arbitrators known as AELEX, has stepped up moves to ensure that the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill which has been pending before the National Assembly since 1999 sees the light of day during President Umaru Yar'Adua's administration.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had declined to sign into law the FOI Bill sent to him for his assent by the last National Assembly in March, 2007, claiming that the Bill as passed by members of the National Assembly would undermine the security of Nigeria among other things.
Fresh attempts by the present National Assembly to hasten passage of the FOI Bill, have not yielded any fruit as some lawmakers have continued to delay its consideration on both floors of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In the House of Representatives for instance, consideration of the FOI Bill had thrice been thwarted by members opposed to it after Hon. Abike Dabiri, who is the sole sponsor of the billre-introduced it on floor of the present House.
On May 7 this year, the House postponed the clause by clause consideration (Third Reading) of the FOI Bill which was on its order paper for a third and final reading citing the 'absence' of the bill's sponsor, Hon. Dabiri.
Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Usman Nafada who chaired the day's proceedings, assured that the House would begin the consideration of the bill in the Committee of the Whole on April 29.
When the issue of the Bill came up on Tuesday, 29 April 2008, the lawmakers threw it out on technical vote. Nafada, who also presided over the session, persuaded Dabiri to drop the bill which was listed as second item on the order paper for consideration on a later date. Dabiri's insistence that the FOI Bill must be taken forced Nafada to ask for a voice-vote. At the end of day, the 'Nays' had it. Going by the body language of the lawmakers, it was obvious they were out to kill the Bill simply because they were jittery the FOI Bill would expose them.
Hon. Dabiri who expressed shock by the development, said if lawmakers are serious about the fight against corruption they should have passed the Bill. She also said that the lawmakers should put national interest first before their personal interests.
According to her, the FOI Bill apart from promoting good governance and transparency in the system, it would also make sure that public officials don't get into trouble.
Although the FOI Bill scaled through its second reading on the floor of the Senate on January 30, 2008 and later referred by the Senate to the Committee on Information and Media for further deliberation nothing concrete has been heard of it apart from the public hearing the Committee conducted sometime in June, this year.
But to ensure that the FOI Bill gets further acceptability by the general public, AELEX plans to use its fourth annual lecture coming up on July 24, this year with the theme: Freedom of Information: Balancing the public's right to know against the individual's right to privacy." It will be holding the Agip Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan-Lagos, and will educate Nigerians on the importance of the FOI Bill.
To this end, the group has invited experts such as Mr. Dele Olojede, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize Winner and Ex-Newsday Foreign Editor & African Bureau Chief, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tanus Communications and Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, a Professor of Law at the University of Lagos to discuss the FOI Bill from their different standpoints. Mr Nduka Obaigbena, Publisher of ThisDay Newspapers will be the Chairman while Mr John Momoh, CEO of Channels Television, will act as Moderator.
Other individuals and institutions in Nigeria like AELEX, had also in the past added their voices to the campaign for the National Assembly to pass the Bill without further delay as they believe the Bill will help fight the country's endemic corruption and enhance good governance.
President of the Newspapers Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Chief Ajibola Ogunshola said 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.
According to him, by treating such an important tool which would bring about positive change to the Nigerian society lightly, the House members have called to question their commitment to and the real intentions of the probes embarked upon by the House.
Speaking in the same vein, Secretary General of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. John Odey said labour would find out what went wrong because the Bill is an important aspect of finding solutions to the problems of Nigeria.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) National Secretary , Mallam Shu'aibu Leman also faulted the action of the House describing it as a betrayal of the trust the electorate reposed in it.While the Secretary General of Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO's), Mr Ayo Adebusoye, said civil society organizations in Nigeria frowned at the delay of the Bill at the National Assembly.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) as represented by the Director Africa Office, Mr. Gabriel Baglo, said the action of the National Assembly was very disappointing since their rejection of the FOI Bill was without any valid reason.
The leader of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa also carpeted the House saying the excuses it gave 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.
Analysts believe the public lecture being organised by this group known as AELEX, apart from enlightening Nigerians on the importance of the FOI Bill, it would also further appeal to the consciences of members of the National Assembly to see reason why they should pass this all important Bill. They also reasoned that the country's crusade against corruption would be successful with the passing of the FOI Bill by the National Assembly.
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