A Kwara-based Civil Society Organisation, Elites Network for
Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), has written the Kwara State House
of Assembly (KWHA) lamenting the lawmakers’ inaction on the amendment
of Kwara State Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill 2019.
The Kwara State Governor, Alh. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had requested
an amendment of the FOI bill before he could assent to it.
In a letter jointly signed by its Coordinator, Dr. Abdullateef
Alagbonsi and General Secretary Mahmud Usman Baba and submitted to the
Speaker of the KWHA, Hon. Yakubu Danladi yesterday, ENetSuD reminded
the Assembly about the legislative journey of the Bill.
The letter reads in part, “Kwara State Freedom of Information (FOI)
Bill 2019 was passed by the 8th Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA)
on 30th May, 2019 and transmitted to the Executive Governor of Kwara
State, Alh. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on 20th June, 2019 for his assent.”
ENetSuD expressed concern over the lawmakers’ delay in amending the
Bill and sought convincing clarification.
The group alleged that the 9th Assembly has always been giving prompt
attention to all other executive requests except the FOI Bill, which
shows the Assembly’s little or no priority for the Bill. “It is on
record that the 9th KWHA under your able leadership has been
meticulously handling all the Governor’s requests (except amendment of
FOI Bill) without any delay. It is also important to state that other
executive requests given priority by the 9th Assembly are undoubtedly
important in the public interest. However, the FOI Bill that will make
public records and information more freely available, provide for
public access to public records and information, protect public
records and information to the extent consistent with the public
interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving
public officers from adverse consequences of disclosing certain kinds
of official information without authorization and establish procedures
for the achievement of those purposes and for related matters, is of
equal importance as others given priority by the Assembly. We are of
the strong conviction that the delay in amendment of FOI Bill
requested by the Governor is due to little or no priority given to the
Bill by the Assembly under your leadership”, ENetSuD noted.
ENetSuD pointed out the impacts of its #FollowKwaraMoney activities in
tracking Federal Government projects in Kwara State using the FOI Act
and expressed the difficulty it has been facing in tracking Kwara
State and Local Governments budgets.
ENetSuD urged the state Assembly to amend sections 4, 5(1), 6 and 10
of the FOI Bill before 24th September 2019, failure of which it shall
take any available lawful step.
