BY OKEY NDIRIBE
ABUJA — The Federal Government has dispelled speculations in some quarters that it was reluctant to implement the Freedom of Information Act.

This clarification was made, yesterday, in Abuja by the Head of Service of the Federation,HOS, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in-charge of Establishment and Records, Mr Charles Bonat, while inaugurating the inter-ministerial committee.

Said he: “I want to use this opportunity to correct this impression and assure the general public that action on implementation of the FoI Act commenced immediately after the signing of the Act.”

He further stated that the HoS, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice have collaborated extensively in order to fashion out operational guidelines for the implementation of the Act in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.

He further stated that the inauguration of the inter-ministerial committee was a demonstration of the commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the FOI Act is fully implemented as stipulated by law.

He continued: “It is a critical step in the determination of the present administration’s desire to ensure the restoration of effective and efficient service delivery in the public service. It is also a demonstration of the government’s commitment to institutional reforms”

In his own remarks at the occasion, Mr Charles Chikezie, a Permanent secretary at the Ministry of Information who represented the Minister stated that the Federal Government was committed to the implementation of the Act because of its belief that this would accelerate development in the country.

He further stated that contrary to the impression in some quarters, the Nigeian media was fully aware of the weight of responsibility the Act imposed on practitioners in the industry.

In his remarks at the event, the Chairman of the National Communications Commission (NCC) Mr Peter Igor praised the National Assembly for passing the FOI Bill into law.

The terms of reference of the Committee are: To study the operational guidelines and develop modalities for service-wide MDAs; to prepare the road map for sensitization, enlightenment, and training for MDAs and relevant stakeholders as provided for in the Act; to locate sources of funding for both locval and overseas training for participating officers in MDAs; to develop framework modalities for bench-marking MDAs on the implementation of FOI Act; to produce quarterly reports on the performance and implementation of the guideline vis-à-vis public institutions under the Act for the attention of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Attorney General of the Federation and other related issues as may be assigned from time to time to the Committee.

Members of the Committee include the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Mrs Nkechi Ejele, who is the Chairperson of the Committee, a representative of the Ministry of Information, a representative of the Ministry of Justice and a representative of the Ministry of Interior.

Others include representatives of the ministries of Finance, Police Affairs and Defence. Also in the Committee are: A representive of the National Human Rights Commission; a legal adviser from the Office of Head of Service; the Deputy Director, Establishment and Records (OHCSF); Deputy Director press, (OHCSF); a Representative of National Planning Commission; Director (Planning, Research and Statistics ) who will serve as the Secretary of the Committee.

The main purpose of the Act which was signed into law on 28th May, 2011 include: To make public records and information more freely available; to provide for public access to public records and information; to protect public records and information to the extent which is consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy; to protect public officers from adverse consequences for disclosing certain kind of official information without authorization and to establish procedure for the achievement of these purposes.