Reps Throw Out FOI Bill (Nigeria)
Reps Throw Out FOI Bill
Leadership (Abuja)
NEWS
4 June 2008
Posted to the web 4 June 2008
By Philip Nyam
Proceedings in the House of Representatives were yesterday characterised by widespread furore as the lawmakers, for the umpteenth time, refused to debate the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB) even as the principal sponsor of the bill, Hon. Abike Dabiri, described the action of her colleagues as the fear of the media.
Also reacting, former coordinator of the Coalition for Freedom of Information Bill, Mr. Osaro Odemwingies, said there is no way "fraudulent and dubious lawmakers" would expose themselves to public scrutiny.
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Deputy speaker, Hon. Usman Bayero Nafada, had, earlier in the day while receiving a coalition of civil society stakeholders, declared that the leadership of the House had stepped up efforts in educating members and ensured that the bill was passed into law.
Journalists covering the House have condemned the position of the chamber on the Bill and threatened to stay away from covering their activities if the FOIB is not considered within a reasonable time to facilitate its passage.
But reacting to the House's rejection of the Bill at a joint briefing yesterday, Hon. Dabiri and chairman of the House Committee on media and publicity, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, said the unfriendly posture of their colleagues to the bill was due out of fear for the media.
Dabiri said, "It is all about the fear of the media. But this is a bill that will promote transparency. But there is a misconception that it is a bill that will make the media so powerful. But we will not give up. We will continue to talk to members because it is not a media bill and there is nothing to be afraid."
According to Ubani, "To have a closure on the bill is unacceptable. But we will continue to educate people that the bill will not make the media to go out of control. This is not a time to give up. It is contradictory because if you say you are in support of transparency and acciountability, and you are rejecting this bill, it is disturbing."
At yesterday's plenary, presided over by Hon. Nafada, a motion by Hon. Dabiri (AC, Lagos) that the report on the bill be considered in the Committee of the Whole House was overwhelmingly rejected by members, throwing the plenary into a confused state that lasted over 30 minutes.
Attempts by the deputy speaker to get the House dissolve into executive session so that the grey areas in the bill could be straightened were equally kicked against by majority of the members with shouts of "No! No! No!"
"Honourable members, this House have handled a more delicate issue than this before. I believe this House is capable of handling this issue. May I suggest that we go into executive session," he pleaded.
However, the lawmakers were adamant on having the bill discussed, compelling the deputy speaker to put the question to vote as to whether the House should dissolve into Committee of the Whole to consider the report or not. Even at that, the deputy speaker was intermittently interrupted with points of order and counter-points of order from members.
"My duty here is to carry out what you honourable members want. I will now put the question for the last time. And try to understand the question before you answer."
When the issue was finally put to vote, there was a deafening roar of "nay" from the floor and the deputy speaker ruled against considering the report on the bill.
The report on the bill for an Act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officials from adverse consequences for disclosing certain kinds of official information without authorisation and establish procedure for the achievement of those purposes and related purposes thereof was submitted to the House since November 11, 2007.
This was the fourth time hat the bill was listed on the Order Paper, but on each occasion, attempts to debate it in the Committee of the Whole had proved futile.
Before the bill was thrown out yesterday, Hon. Henry Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa) had pleaded that the House dissolve into an executive session to debate the report, advising that the members should be conscious of the responsibility placed on their shoulders by the electorate.
Hon. Terngu Tsegba (PDP, Benue) called for the stepping down of the bill to enable members study it before listing it for debate.
Meanwhile, journalists covering the House yesterday expressed strong reservations to the manner the bill was being handled by members and resolved to write a protest letter to the leadership.
The House press corps that met shortly after the House adjourned said it was unhappy with the way the bill was treated in the lower chamber and threatened to boycott further activities of the members until they show commitment to the bill.
It will be recalled that the FOIB was passed by both chambers of National Assembly during the last Assembly but the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, withheld assent, citing security reasons and kicking against the title of the bill. Since it was re-introduced by the sponsors, it has been a thug-o'-war in the House of Representatives.
According to Odemwingie, "Majority of House of Representatives members are crooks, dubious and fraudulent and such people will not open up their books for scrutiny. I am not surprised that they are working the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB).
"How do you expect people who came to the House through fraudulent electoral processes, many of them with questionable means of livelihood, people who allocated billions of naira for themselves for tea break and entertainment, to pass a bill that will expose them?"
The Senate yesterday condemned the attitude of the lower chamber towards the FOI bill, saying that it was unfortunate to shut down a bill which the senators were working hard to pass into law.
Senator Eze told Senate reporters that all their efforts would have been in vain if truly the House of Representatives have decided to kill the bill, and that it was regrettable.
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