No fewer than 100 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are to meet in Benin, Edo State capital, Tuesday, to discuss the implementation of Nigeria’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in the state.
Chairman, Board of Governors, Freedom of Information Coalition, Nigeria- FOIC-N, Dr. Walter Duru disclosed this in a Press Release made available to journalists on Sunday.
Duru, who described the FOI Act as a powerful tool for the fight against corruption in Nigeria expressed concern over low usage of the law by citizens in holding government at all levels accountable.
He explained that the Edo FOI meeting is supported by the European Union, through the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption-ROLAC Programme, managed by the British Council.
“The Nigerian Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was signed into law on May 28 2011. The law was passed to enable the public to access certain government information, in order to ensure transparency and accountability.”
“The FOI Act aims to make public records and information more freely available. It enables citizens to hold the government accountable in the event of misappropriation or public services failure. It also protects serving public officers against any adverse consequences from the unauthorized disclosure of certain kinds of official information.”
He further called on Nigerians to take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act to participate in governance in the interest of the country.
