Nan
18 November 2008
A Lagos lawmaker has called for the participation of more journalists in politics to ensure free flow of information and the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill.
Mr Ipoola Omisore said yesterday in Lagos that except more journalists were involved in politics, some politicians would always seek to restrict information flow.
The lawmaker, who is the House Committee Chairman on Information, Security and Strategy, noted that some politicians were always afraid of being open.
"Politicians do not generally like to sharpen knives that could be used to cut their necks.
"But those who do not want the FOI bill are certainly living in the past and have polluted minds.
"That is all the more reason why we need to have more journalists in politics," he noted.
Omisore said when journalists joined politics, they would have more understanding of most of the issues they fought for from outside.
"It is good to write as an insider. It is only then that you will actually see the beauty of democracy," he added.
Omisore said the involvement of more journalists in politics would also change things for the better, adding: "They can lobby more effectively as insiders and they will be in a better position to counsel their professional colleagues on who to lobby.
"If we had more of the likes of Sen. Ayogu Eze and Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa in the National Assembly, the FOI Bill would have since been passed into law." (NAN)
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