FOI Bill: Stakeholders Support Passage Into Law by Kwara Assembly

Stakeholders have expressed support for the domestication of the Kwara State Freedom of Information Act by the State House of Assembly.

They made their position known while making inputs at the public hearing held by the State House of Assembly on the State Freedom of Information Bill before the House.

Most of the stakeholders while supporting domestication of the Act, expressed confidence that the passage of the bill would strengthen democracy, anti corruption crusade and enhance transparency in governance.

They ,therefore ,praised members of the outgoing 8th legislature for their commitment to the wellbeing of the people till their last day in office.

However, some stakeholders expressed reservations over people's unfettered access to the state Achieves and Website,sections that dealt with where a case of wrongful denial was established, when disclosure of information could be injurious to conduct of international affairs and stability of the nation and therefore advocated an establishment of an agency to manage Freedom Of Information Act for effective implementation in the state.

While declaring the public hearing open, the Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad observed with delight that the outgoing legislature under his watch, had work assiduously to make people the fulcrum of its legislative activities and had passed more Bills than other previous legislatures in the history of democratic governance in the state.

Earlier, the chairman House Committee on Information, Youth Sports Culture and Tourism Hon. Abdul - Rafiu Abdul - Rahman had explained that the proposed law was aimed at giving people window of opportunities to ask pertinent questions and get satisfactory answers about government and governance in the state and protect public officials from adverse consequences of disclosing official information without authorisation.

Some of the Stakeholders that made inputs at the Public hearing were Nigeria Union of Journalists,Reawakening Kwara Citizenry of Civic Education, Fresh Insight, Elite Network For Sustainable Development, State Ministries of Information and Justice, Sobi fm and Informant 247.