Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia: Nigerian Senate plans FOI Bill as Independence Day gift

Friday, September 12, 2008

Senate plans FOI Bill as Independence Day gift
Written by Emmanuel Aziken & Inalegwu Shuaibu
Thursday, 11 September 2008
The Senate yesterday promised the nation an independence day gift in the form of the Freedom of Information (FoI) bill which it promised to pass into law in three weeks. Senate Spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze who disclosed this to journalists at a press briefing said the senate having gone through the bill had found out that the bill does not contain anything that could be inimical to the nation's interest. He said: "We are determined to do things that will deepen democracy. One of them is the inauguration of the constitution review committee hopefully by next week. And also this is to say that we are determined to make sure that, in the next three weeks, we will pass the Freedom of Information Bill and make it a law in Nigeria." Senator Eze further disclosed that the upper legislative chamber is consumed by the zeal to make governance more transparent and accountable, adding that unless the bill is quickly passed into law, ordinary Nigerians would not have access to information to make meaningful contributions to governance.