*Anambra AG pledges domestication of the FOIA
By Michael Oche
Nigerians may soon begin to enjoy more access to public information as the Strengthening Accountability and governance in Nigeria Initiative (SAGNI) which aimed at tracking govt spending and improving transparency and accountability in governance has gathered momentun as it has received the buy-in of the Ministry of Justice.
The Project launch recently by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) is being implemented with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) and funding from the European Union through International IDEA.
The ministry expressed its willingness to work with the CTA during a courtesy visit to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, by a delegation of the CTA led by its executive director, Faith Nwadishi.
Speaking during the visit, CTA Executive Director, Nwadishi said the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a viable tool conceived to make public records and information more freely available to citizens upon request.
Nwadishi however, said since its enactment in 2011, applicants, civil societies organizations and sister non-governmental bodies have faced significant challenges in giving effects to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
According to her, “these challenges include: culture of secrecy in government institutions, limited public awareness of the FOI Act, low literacy rate of the public in the country, non- domestication of the FOI Act by most States of the Federation, existence of subsisting laws which conflict with the FOI Act (like the Official Secrets Act), legal technicalities exploited by legal practitioners on behalf of their clients and lack of political will by the people in government to make the FOI Act work as conceived. As a result, the potential impact of the FOIA has not been fully realized.”
She therefore said the essence if the visit was to seek the collaboration with the Attorney General of the Federation, noting that the CTA is not unaware that Section 29 (6) of the Freedom of Information Act entrusts the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in his oversight responsibility under this Act, with the responsibility of ensuring that all institutions to which the FOI Act applies comply with the provisions of the Act.
She said, “we are asking for collaboration to mark the world anti corruption day 2024 on Dec 9th. Using it as an opportunity to educate people on the FOIA 2011 and its importance as a tool to fight corruption.”
Nwadishi explained that the SAGNI project just launched, specifically targets Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at the federal level, FCT as well as in Anambra and Edo states, to build upon the FOIA framework and bolster citizen engagement at all levels of governance.
She said the project is going to foster a collaborative approach that includes various stakeholders—civil society organizations (CSOs), youth and women’s groups, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and legal practitioners
“SAGNI aims to create a governance culture that resists corruption and promotes transparency. The initiative encompasses a range of activities, including research, capacity-building workshops, policy dialogues, and advocacy engagements, designed to advance understanding and effective utilization of the FOIA as a tool for accountability,” she said.
In his response, the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, expressed willingness to work with the CTA and other CSOs to increase compliance with the Act.
The AGF, who was represented by the Head of FOI desk at the Ministry, Mr Garba said the a Desk Officer for CTA on FOIA requests has already been established within the Ministry, ensuring effective communication and cooperation on FOIA-related initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Honorable Commissioner and Attorney General of Anambra State, Prof Sylvia Ifemeje has pledged to support the domestication of the FOIA in the State. The CTA appreciates Professor
The Commissioner gave the pledge when he hosted a team from CTA led by MacDonald Ekemezie, the Programme and Communications Manager, who represented the CTA Executive Director.
MacDonald said the aim of the meeting was to advocate for the domestication of the FOIA in Anambra State and to seek the Attorney General’s commitment to supporting the establishment of FOIA Desks across ministries and departments in the state.
The CTA team also requested to hood capacity building for public officials on FOIA implementation and also the evelopment of framework for FOIA compliance.
In her response Professor Ifemeje expressed her commitments to present the issue of domestication of the FOIA before the governor of Anambra State.
She said that the ministry is willing to collaborate with Civil Society in the anti-corruption war