By Meleltus EZE
A don, Dr Walter Duru, says increased corruption in the country results from failure of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), media and other Nigerians to use the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
Duru, who is the Head of Department, Mass Communication, Madonna University, Okija, Anambra, made this known on Thursday during a two-day capacity building workshop on the FOI Act.
The workshop was organised for some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), lawyers and journalists.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan signed the FOI Act into law on May 28, 2011.
The Act confers on Nigerians the legal rights to access certain information, records and documents held by government and private bodies bound by law.
Duru, who is also the Chairman, Board, Freedom of Information Coalition, Nigeria, called on Nigerians to fight corruption and electoral fraud with the Act.
“Clearly, the FOI Act has not achieved the expected level of implementation both in terms of demand and supply since it was signed into law.
“Between 2011 and 2017, compliance level by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government has been poor.
“You cannot blame those in government for getting involved in corruption when nobody is challenging them to be accountable. How many Nigerians know how much their lawmakers earn,’’ Duru queried.
He said if Nigerians were to ask those in public offices questions on their activities, corruption would reduce by 50 per cent.
According to the don, many Nigerians do not know much about the FOI Act.
He called for implementation of the Act by all tiers of government, saying that between 2011 and 2017; only 330 public institutions submitted their annual report on FOI Act.
Officer, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC), Mrs Hannatu Essien, Programme organisers of the workshop, said that the programme was organised to build capacity of CSOs and media on the FOI Act.
Essien said the workshop was sponsored by the British Council and the European Union (EU) to combat the low level of awareness and implementation of the FOI Act in Nigeria and Lagos State in particular.
“The training will help participants understand how to use and apply key provisions of the FOI Act as a tool for entrenching the tenets of transparency and accountability in governance in the state.
“The survey conducted by ROLAC revealed a huge knowledge gap among citizens on the provisions and application of the FOI Act.
“Analysis of the report also indicates low level of compliance in Lagos State especially,” the programme officer said.
About 25 persons drawn from the media, CSOs and legal practitioners participated in the workshop.
