The Nigerian Government has reiterated the need for the public to have unfettered access to government records and information.
The Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba made this known Wednesday, at the commemoration of twelve years of implementing the Freedom of Information Act FOIA in Nigeria.
Mr Agba noted that FOIA imposed enormous responsibilities on the office of the Attorney General, noting that promoting transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business cannot be achieved without the strong support of the MDAs.
Represented by Director Solicitor Department, Mrs Gladys Odegbaro, the SGF said, “The AGF in compliance to Section 29（7）of the FOI Act submits to the National Assembly an annual report on or before April 1st of each year.”
She encouraged public institutions that are yet to comply with the submission of their annual reports to begin to comply.
She noted that as of the last count, only 90 MDAs out of over 300 have submitted their annual report.
Also speaking, Mrs Ene Nwankpa, a non-state actor from Right to Know preached proactive disclosure, calling for prompt implementation and improved interactions.
The guest speaker, Professor Peter Terkaa Akper a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, advocated strong political will on the part of government to allow citizens access to information as prescribed by the law.
