The body said on Friday that the situation signals the government’s lack of commitment to make the Law.
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In a statement issued in Lagos by its Programme Officer, Ms Maimuna Momoh, the organization said its analysis of the 2023 Federal Government budget proposals showed that out of over 500 Federal public institutions, only nine entities made specific allocations for freedom of information implementation in their proposals, indicating that the FOI Act is likely to experience another year of dismal performance in implementation by government agencies.
MRA is asking the Court to declare the NBC’s failure to provide it with the information it requested a breach of its right of access to information as well as a flagrant violation of the FOI Act and to order the Commission to pay it N1 million as exemplary and aggravated damages for unlawfully denying it the information.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), will deliver the keynote address at the workshop, which will also have in attendance, the National Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Nigeria, Dr Gloria Ahmed, who is also the Director of Special Duties at the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as well as Gowon Ichibor, the Head of the FOI Unit at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The three-day training was aimed at enhancing the capacity of public and civil servants appointed as responsible officers for FOI implementation in their various public institutions on one hand; and Permanent Secretaries and heads of public institutions in the state on another hand.
The training is supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme, funded by the European Union, but managed by the British Council.
MIIVOC’s Executive Director, Dr. Walter Duru, who gave the hint while addressing newsmen in Owerri, Tuesday, also disclosed that arrangements are in top gear with some other public institutions to enhance their capacity on the FOI Act.
The FOI request, which was dated September 12, 2018 and signed by the Chairman of the Resource Centre, Olanrewaju Suraju, stated that allegations of such nature are capable of creating diffidence in the general society on the education of the girl child and more devastating effect on the confidence of students in higher institutions of learning.
The NNPC had rejected the FOI request by Falana to provide information on the amount of money spent on petrol subsidy and turnaround maintenance of refineries.
Section 1 of the FOIA states: “(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is established
In an FOI request dated March 15, 2016, addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, and made available to newsmen, MIIVOC made a nine-point demand bothering on accountability and transparency