all i wanna know is the content of the "would-be-law". it could be an edited version thats got nothing to offer except its name

emisun:

all i wanna know is the content of the "would-be-law". it could be an edited version thats got nothing to offer except its name

i guess the house of reps passed their own version of the original bill.

thumb up Nigeria moving forward!

omo9ja1:

thumb up Nigeria moving forward!

lets see the content before jubilating.these people are not that generous.

Just read it in the papers this morning, however i noticed the Speaker pointed out that only information that has been classified for Public Disclosure will be made available and WIP documents cannot be made public If I know our legislators well, everything under the sun will be classified as Non-Disclosable for Public Consumption due to the sensitive nature and maybe something like National Security. I hope Police records can be made public cos we still do not know who Bomb the Abuja Independence event

good news to Nigerians, it's getting better

Let's not be pessimistic. Something good can come out of Nigeria. You never, can tell, the bill can become law before this year runs out. God is definitely hearing the cry of the masses.

Reps make defence, economy no-go areas in passed FoI Bill


TRUE to their promise, members of the House of Representatives yesterday passed into law the controversial Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill, which had taken on the toga of the nation’s oldest legal instrument before the National Assembly.

The 34-clause bill, which was unanimously passed by the lawmakers present at the session, was immediately transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

Its passage was preceded by the clause-by-clause consideration as prepared by the House Committee on Information and Orientation as well as the Committee on Justice.

The planned law is however not open-ended as it excluded access to defence issues, cases under investigation by security agencies, and others classified under “national economic interests.”

According to the committee, the bill seeks to provide a right of access to public information or records kept by governments or public institutions or private bodies carrying out public functions for citizens and non-citizens of the country.”

The Executive arm of government and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) praised the Lower Chamber for doing Nigerians proud by passing the bill into law. They noted that the law would promote public accountability and enhance national development.

Chairman of the Justice Committee, Henry Seriake Dickson, who presented the report for consideration by the House, said the “bill is intended to increase the availability of public records and information to citizens of the country in order to participate more effectively in the making and administration of laws and policies, and to promote accountability of public affairs.”

Other objectives of the bill include making public information more freely available; providing access to public records and information; protecting public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy; and protecting serving public officers from adverse consequences for disclosing certain kind of official information without authorisation.

The planned law also established procedures for the achievement of these purposes and related ones.

It prescribed a three-year jail term for any officer of government found guilty of falsification or destruction of information.

“It shall be an offence punishable with three years imprisonment for any officer of public institution to destroy, alter, falsify or deliberately misrepresent information kept in his custody,” the bill stated.

The proposed law, however, denied users access to information on defence, international affairs, and matters under investigation by law enforcement agencies.

The bill also excluded public access to information affecting the economic interest of the country.

In Section 15, the bill states that “a public institution may deny an application for information that contains trade secrets, financial, commercial or technical information that belongs to the government and has substantial economic value or is likely to have substantial economic value.”

Also, the Bill made it mandatory for every public institution to publish certain information concerning its operation even without request by anybody.

Section (3)(3) of the bill declared that “a public institution shall cause to be published the following information:

• A description of the organisation and responsibilities of the institution including details of the programmes and functions of each division, branch and departments;

• list of all classes of records under the control of the institution in sufficient detail to facilitate the exercise of the right to information under this Act;

• a list of all manuals used by employees of the institution in administering or carrying out any of the programmes or activities of the institution;

• a description of document containing final opinions including concurring and dissenting opinions as well as orders made in the adjudication of cases;

• document containing substantive rules of the institution;, and

• document containing statements and interpretations of policies, which have been adopted by the institution.”

An elated Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) over the lawmakers’ action, praised them for rising to the occasion and acting in the collective interest of Nigeria.

In a statement yesterday, NGE President Gbenga Adefaye, said the group received the news with great joy. He noted that this was the second time within a decade, that the House would respond to “our collective hunger for openness and transparency in the administration of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The FoI law will certainly aid accountability in our public life.

For the Guild, it is remarkable that the leadership of the House of Representatives has kept its words to the Guild, to pass this bill because it agrees that the nation (not just the media) needs it.

“The Guild will like to note also the concurrence of the leadership of the House that a Freedom of Information Law will make legislation easier as nobody in the ministries and the MDAs can withhold information that is needed for public good - whether for legislative purposes or basic information and education of the citizenry by the media.

“The Guild now calls on the Senate to borrow a leaf from the House by passing the bill early enough for presidential assent. We are delighted that the Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. Labaran Maku, had during the biennial convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Lagos last month, publicly committed to lobbying for presidential assent of the bill once it is passed by the National Assembly. We expect him to honour his words, once the Senate does its patriotic duty of opening up the system for accountable government.

“While we wait to see the content of the bill as passed by the House, the Guild would like to put the media on notice that a Freedom of Information Law only helps to foster a  more informed and socially responsible press,” he said.

Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Labran Maku, has commended the House for the passage of the bill.

He told journalists yesterday in Abuja that the passage of the FOI was a plus for Nigerians and the country’s democracy.

“I congratulate the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the entire House for a job well-done. What is happening today is a plus for Nigerians and its democracy. It is my belief that with the passage of this FoI Bill, Nigeria’s democracy has been consolidated as the bill is not for the media alone but for the growth of the country,” Maku said.

He, however, called on the Senate to ensure that the passage of the bill was not delayed in its chamber.

The bill was returned to the legislature in 2007 after former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to assent to it before he left office that year. It was in the House for almost a year without attention. The bill, described as the oldest legal document before the National Assembly has been in the legislature since 1999 when it was first introduced to the lawmakers as a non-member bill by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA).

In 2008, the House rejected it when at the third reading while in January 2009, most members of the Lower House asked the Speaker Dimeji Bankole to stand down the bill as they vowed to kill it when brought to them again for passage.

That made it the tenth time it suffered a setback in the lower chamber.

The Co-Chairman of the new Joint-Committee on the Freedom of Information Bill, Henry Dickson, had last week assured that it would be passed into law latest today.

Also yesterday, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji disclosed the Federal Government had disengaged from power  generation



FIne  we accept for defence, but for the ECONOMY, Hell no

lets see the content before jubilating.these people are not that generous.

@Bluetooth, I'm also adopting a watch-and-see-attitude before any jubilation. You can't trust all these 'lawmakers'.

Government magic

This is perhaps the best news to come out of Nigeria this year

if the senate did not pass the bill, its useless.

This is absolutely the way forward for Nigeria! Great news! I hope the president gets to approve it. This is definitely what we need. Thanks to Democracy.

This scenario only happens in an ideal situation where the structures are people-oriented. Na so dem teach us for our govt textbooks.
The senate might even delay the passing of the bill for political reasons. Even if they pass it, they may decide not to present it for assent on time. Do you remember what happened to Electoral Amendment bill?
My point is that, if they submit it to gej for assent and the guy does not sign. Then, that is a doom for the Nigerian people because automatically it means that the presidency is not in support of the bill.
And what do you think will be end of the bill? As am sure u know, NASS are not that patriotic, what they would end up doing is to negotiate with the presidency - CORRUPTION.
At the end of the whole game, an adulterated version would  be passed.
[quote][/quote]

My bro, you are just right, with the kind of people we have as law makers.
But what would we do?
Just sit and look?

lagerwhenindoubt:

Just read it in the papers this morning, however i noticed the Speaker pointed out that only information that has been classified for Public Disclosure will be made available and WIP documents cannot be made public  If I know our legislators well, everything under the sun will be classified as Non-Disclosable for Public Consumption due to the sensitive nature and maybe something like National Security. I hope Police records can be made public cos we still do not know who Bomb the Abuja Independence event 

Nigerians have been agitating for this bill in order to checkmate corruption. That is the essence. The speaker and his men have already set out to undermine a law that has not been passed. The implication of what Bankole said is that they are free to loot provided they remember to tag certain files inaccessible to the public.

Bankole is a disappointment. The Nigerian elite and academia had such high hopes for the young man

Whats the scope of this bill? I hope it would give Nairalanders the right to post whatever they like  without the Admins using the filter command

Lets wait and see, happy though

PLs The PIB nexxxtt!!!!!, make i see if the passage of that bill go increase my salary

How come this isn't the hottest topic on the front page?
This is the singular most important thing that any of the arms of government have done this year.

Ope o!

Yes, what is the content of the version passed by the Reps? Anyone know what the senate version contains?

some Nairalanders are not helping this country at all. They have made up their minds to criticise and discredit any good thing done by this administration.This is not how it is been done in developed countries.They keep shouting push PDP out as if there is any better party out there. SHAME ON YOU GEJ HATERS.

^^^ I hate to burst your bubble there, but there is no evidence Goodluck had much to do with the house passing this bill. The House does not need to consult the president before passing any bill, you know that right?

If you want to know the content of the bill go to the first line of this discussion and click on the dailytimes web site address. you hear?

^^^ Not sure what you are referring there to CONTENT OF THE BILL . . . . but a news article is not it.

***yawns***

Great news. We expect more when GEJ wins the election.

Goodluck had nothing to do withthe passing of this bill. He confirmed this when his own aide \advisor came out to state this a mistake on the part of the house