We must ask the Nigerian parliament to pass the FOI Bill into law soonest - as it has done with the electoral act and constitution amendment. We must regret that civil society, Labour, the Bar Association and Nigerian students have not taken on the politicians to stop their blatant disrespect for, and total insensitivity to, our collective call for the law in the last 12 years! Now, they must.
We ask the Save Nigeria Group to place this case on the front burner. This National Assembly must not expire without passing the bill into law, and President Jonathan needs to announce his eagerness to assent today!
Though this is not a media-only law, we must call on the Nigerian Press to rise to its full height and bring this matter to either an early resolution or an early confrontation. We cannot fight for democracy and its biggest beneficiaries treat the nation with such contempt. Not allowed.
FOI is now an election issue: Vote for it and you may return; vote against and you are gone! This is the message every medium, all media, must make a banner clip each and every day - as we countdown to Election Day 2011.
Showing posts with label Press Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Press Freedom. Show all posts
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday, November 24, 2006
Nigeria's Freedom of Information, FOI, Bill will soon become law. Just recently passed by the Senate, it awaits the president's assent. At long last!
Nothing in this news is earth-shattering of course, for all civilised democracies know the value and blessings of FOI. Added to the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, however, our country can now look forward to a future of better accountability and less blatant corruption from Elections 2007 onwards. President Obasanjo should sign right away.
In taking as long as eight years to give us this law, the politicians patently and loudly diminish themselves. The Nigerian Press has always been fearless and resilient - from the colonial times through the hellish military era, it defended the people and stayed fiercely loyal to the masses. Delaying this legislation, especially in the Senate, was an own goal of disrepute! Nigerians were not well-served. It undermined the fight against corruption, and permitted political rascality.
Anyway, better late than never. Now we've got it, or almost got it. I say BRAVO to all who made it happen. Welcome FOI.
Parting Hint: Crooks beware! Leaders behave!!
Nothing in this news is earth-shattering of course, for all civilised democracies know the value and blessings of FOI. Added to the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, however, our country can now look forward to a future of better accountability and less blatant corruption from Elections 2007 onwards. President Obasanjo should sign right away.
In taking as long as eight years to give us this law, the politicians patently and loudly diminish themselves. The Nigerian Press has always been fearless and resilient - from the colonial times through the hellish military era, it defended the people and stayed fiercely loyal to the masses. Delaying this legislation, especially in the Senate, was an own goal of disrepute! Nigerians were not well-served. It undermined the fight against corruption, and permitted political rascality.
Anyway, better late than never. Now we've got it, or almost got it. I say BRAVO to all who made it happen. Welcome FOI.
Parting Hint: Crooks beware! Leaders behave!!
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