Federal Institutions Tasked On FOI Act

Participants at a workshop on the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, have called on Federal Government institutions to set up desks that will facilitate the implementation of the law.

They made the call on Tuesday in Enugu at a workshop organised by State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI), an implementing partner of the British Department for International Development (DFID).

The participants comprising representatives of the civil society and the media, urged the institutions to have designated offices where interested persons could apply for access to information.

Mr Chinweuba Onah, an employee of the Community Centre for Justice and Health Initiative, stressed on the need to enlighten the public and civil servants on their responsibilities toward the smooth implementation of the law.

“Many government agencies are not aware of their responsibilities in the Act. They do not even know that they are at the centre stage of giving out necessary information to the public.”

“Some institutions do not have information officers, who should handle such matters for them,’’ Onah said.

Mrs Elizabeth Achuagu, a journalist with the Daily Star Newspapers said the media should conduct an in-house training to educate them on the Act.

“This workshop has exposed the contents of the Act, journalist should be well informed about it to avoid abusing it,’’ she said.

Earlier, the state Leader of SAVI, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwuma, said the workshop was aimed at exposing participants to essential state and national laws that will equip professionals on their roles and responsibilities.

Chukwuma said SAVI was set up by DFID to facilitate civil society-government partnership, with a view to ensuring open, accountable and responsive governance.