February 16, 2016
By Femi Durojaiye
A non-governmental organisation, the United Action for Change (UAC),
yesterday presented two bills to the Lagos State House of Assembly, the
bills are the Freedom of Information (FoI) and Whistle Blower bills.
The two bills were presented to the Speaker by the Legal Adviser to UAC,
Adewale Ademola, who said that the organisation felt that the bills would
help fight corruption in the system.
According to the secretary of the organisation, Mr. Michael Popoola, the two
bills already exist as an act of the National Assembly and when the FoI Act
was passed into law by the National Assembly, there was much rejoicing, not
only by the press, but a majority of Nigerians.
Popoola said: "The need for transparency and accountability is even greater
now than ever as the thrust of government both at the federal and state
levels are in tune with the change agenda of the ruling party.
"The effects of these bills, which will eventually trickle down to the local
government level on the need to fight corruption to a standstill and
eventually eliminating it from our body polity," he said.
He observed that there were some snags in the FoI Law and that though there
is a federal legislation on it, the federal legislation does not apply in
the states and that except the laws are domesticated.
The FoI bill and Whistle Blowers Bill, he said can only apply in those
states, where they have been domesticated.
"The bills proposed for Lagos State have taken care of the defects noticed
in the federal law. In this respect, it will be noticed that the federal FoI
Act has 32 sections inclusive of the interpretation and citation sections.
"The proposed Lagos version has 33 sections inclusive of the interpretation
and citation sections. The new sections in the proposed Lagos Bill are
sections 20 and 21. The old section 20 of the FoI Act provides for judicial
review," he said.
The rights activist stated further that the new Lagos Bill section 20
provides for Complainant Commissioner, the new Lagos Bill section 21
provides for Appeal Commissioners.
He stressed that the essence of creating the Office of the Complainant
Commissioner, who is the Ombudsman in addition to the Office of Complaint
Commissioners under section 21 of the proposed Lagos laws is to resolve
disputes relating to rejected request for information.
"With particular reference to the FoI Bill, the proposed Lagos State version
has sought to introduce these sections, which will aid the effective
functioning of the law by creating the Office of the Complaint Commissioner,
some kind of Ombudsman and also the office of complaint tribunal to resolve
disputes relating to rejected request for information," he stated.
In his response, the Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa,
commended the UAC for the presentation, adding that it was a reminder of
what is expected of lawmakers.
Obasa promised that the Assembly would not fail the NGO and that the
proposed bills would be given thorough attention, but that the assembly had
not abandoned the FoI Bill the seventh assembly worked on.
"The bills would be given the necessary approvals. We should all be agents
of change. We must support the government of the day and do what is right.
We should depart from bad ways of doings things.
"Our government has started the process of departing from our old ways of
doing things. We will continue to work on that. We as professionals must all
be concerned about fighting corruption. We will do whatever wo do with
transparency and probity," he said.
By Femi Durojaiye
A non-governmental organisation, the United Action for Change (UAC),
yesterday presented two bills to the Lagos State House of Assembly, the
bills are the Freedom of Information (FoI) and Whistle Blower bills.
The two bills were presented to the Speaker by the Legal Adviser to UAC,
Adewale Ademola, who said that the organisation felt that the bills would
help fight corruption in the system.
According to the secretary of the organisation, Mr. Michael Popoola, the two
bills already exist as an act of the National Assembly and when the FoI Act
was passed into law by the National Assembly, there was much rejoicing, not
only by the press, but a majority of Nigerians.
Popoola said: "The need for transparency and accountability is even greater
now than ever as the thrust of government both at the federal and state
levels are in tune with the change agenda of the ruling party.
"The effects of these bills, which will eventually trickle down to the local
government level on the need to fight corruption to a standstill and
eventually eliminating it from our body polity," he said.
He observed that there were some snags in the FoI Law and that though there
is a federal legislation on it, the federal legislation does not apply in
the states and that except the laws are domesticated.
The FoI bill and Whistle Blowers Bill, he said can only apply in those
states, where they have been domesticated.
"The bills proposed for Lagos State have taken care of the defects noticed
in the federal law. In this respect, it will be noticed that the federal FoI
Act has 32 sections inclusive of the interpretation and citation sections.
"The proposed Lagos version has 33 sections inclusive of the interpretation
and citation sections. The new sections in the proposed Lagos Bill are
sections 20 and 21. The old section 20 of the FoI Act provides for judicial
review," he said.
The rights activist stated further that the new Lagos Bill section 20
provides for Complainant Commissioner, the new Lagos Bill section 21
provides for Appeal Commissioners.
He stressed that the essence of creating the Office of the Complainant
Commissioner, who is the Ombudsman in addition to the Office of Complaint
Commissioners under section 21 of the proposed Lagos laws is to resolve
disputes relating to rejected request for information.
"With particular reference to the FoI Bill, the proposed Lagos State version
has sought to introduce these sections, which will aid the effective
functioning of the law by creating the Office of the Complaint Commissioner,
some kind of Ombudsman and also the office of complaint tribunal to resolve
disputes relating to rejected request for information," he stated.
In his response, the Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa,
commended the UAC for the presentation, adding that it was a reminder of
what is expected of lawmakers.
Obasa promised that the Assembly would not fail the NGO and that the
proposed bills would be given thorough attention, but that the assembly had
not abandoned the FoI Bill the seventh assembly worked on.
"The bills would be given the necessary approvals. We should all be agents
of change. We must support the government of the day and do what is right.
We should depart from bad ways of doings things.
"Our government has started the process of departing from our old ways of
doing things. We will continue to work on that. We as professionals must all
be concerned about fighting corruption. We will do whatever wo do with
transparency and probity," he said.
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