Lagos Assembly set to domesticate FoI Act

Lagos Assembly set to domesticate FoI Act

Lagos – The Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) on Thursday said preparations were in top gear to domesticate the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act for the enhancement of good governance.

Mr Tunde Braimoh, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the bill would soon be read for the first time.

According to him, the Assembly prides itself as the people’s parliament and will not shy away from anything that will bring dividends of democracy to the masses.

“The Assembly is in top gear and we are at the very advanced stage of domesticating the FoI Act.

“The bill has been circulated for our perusal and adaptation to our local peculiarities and idiosyncrasies. Presently, we are looking at the bill.

“Very soon, it will go into first reading,’’ the lawmaker said.

He said that the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, had started collating the views of each of the 40 parliamentarians of the House on the subject.

He said that the committee would come up with a draft of an amended FoI bill for local purposes before holding a stakeholders’ meeting on it.

NAN reports that a non-governmental organisation, the United Action for Change (UAC), had on Feb. 15, presented the FoI and Whistle Blower bills to th3e Assembly for its domestication. (NAN)