A group under the auspices of Transparency and Accountability in Totality Initiative (TinT) has Urged Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill into law before the end of his tenure .
FOI Project Officer of USAID-supported SCALE, Musa Suleiman said the call for speedy passage of the bill was necessary for the effective functionality of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which the state subscribed to in 2018
According to him, the domestication of the act will promote openness, transparency, and accountability in government, and strengthen the democratic structure.
“The domestication of the FOI Act was part of the milestone of the OGP commitment to Access to Information in the First State Action Plan (SAP, 2018-2020), which was not achieved and not captured in the State Action Plan II,” he noted..
Musa Suleiman explained that the Civil Society Groups, individuals, and Technical Working Groups (TWG) under the auspice of the OGP were currently working to ensure the domestication of the Bill is captured in State Action Plan III.
He called on residents of the state, the state government, and members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly (KSHA) to fast-track the domestication of the bill to fulfill the components of the OGP.
FOI Project Officer said “if the bill get domesticated, it will enhance access to public information, protect public records on grounds of public interest and personal privacy, and protect public officers who provide such information without authorisation”.
COV/FATIMA ALIYU