Lagos – Members of the academia on Thursday said that the signing of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) into law by President Goodluck Jonathan would align Nigeria with developments in advanced democracies.

The bill, signed into law on Tuesday, is expected to expand the frontiers of press freedom in Nigeria.

Prof. Peter Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), said that with the FOI law, Nigeria would align itself with developments in advanced democracies.

He advised Nigerians to treat the provisions of the law with a sense of responsibility and respect for national integrity.

Dr Olubunmi  Ajibade, Senior Lecturer, Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos, said that signing the bill into law was the best thing that had happened to democracy in Nigeria.

Ajibade said that it would give room to transparency and accountability in governance.

He said that with the development, Nigerians would demand for an account of stewardship from their elected representatives in public offices.

“The signing of the bill into law has given the society a nearly unrestricted access to public records and will also go along way to curb corruption,” Ajibade said.

According to him, President Jonathan has demonstrated that he is committed to the cause of the masses.

He said that the development would for the first time also give legal backing to the people’s right to know.

Dr Kabiru Akinyemi, immediate past chairman of ASUU, Lagos State University (LASU), commended the president’s action saying that the signing of the bill was long over due.

“You know that people have been clamouring for the signing of this bill into law during the Obasanjo’s administration but had dragged on.

“For him (Jonathan) to yield to the demands of the people shows that he means well for our country and I see it as a pass mark for him,” Akinyemi said. (NAN)