CLO protests over FOI Bill
The Lagos State
Chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) yesterday marked
the independence anniversary with a peaceful protest over the delay
in passing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill into law.
The protest match, which kicked off at the CLO headquarters on Allen
Avenue , went through Alausa, and ended at the Ikeja Police College.
Participants in the rally include representatives of the NLC, TUC,
Campaign for Democracy, United Action for Democracy, NANS and the
Constitutional Rights Agenda.
The promoters of the FOI Bill have in the past eight years been
actively pushing for its passage without success.
The state Chairman of the CLO, Mr Eneruvie Enakoko, told NAN that
the protest march was to sensitise Nigerians on the need to
challenge some anomalies in the system.
He said the CLO was also protesting the non adoption of the Fiscal
Responsibility (FR) Act by the 36 states, especially those in the
Niger Delta.
“We also want the immediate enactment of a law that will regulate
the disbursement and/or sharing of funds in the excess crude
account,’’ he added.
Enakoko said if the FOI Bill was signed into law, the FR Bill
adopted by the states and a law enacted to regulate the utilisation
of the money accruing to the excess crude account, Nigerians could
make their leaders account for their stewardship.
He noted that restricting access to information “denies the press of
the legal authority to publish what they know is true’’.
“The Nigerian Press has for many years been accused of
sensationalism, as against journalism based on facts. This is
because their work seems not backed by evidence. It is time we
changed all that,’’ he added.
The chairman said the more Nigerians delayed the passage of the
Bill, the more they delayed the day of progress and prosperity of
the nation.
He noted that the fight against corruption could not bring about
meaningful change without the passage of the FOI Bill, which would
help to expose corrupt public officers.
Enakoko said the Federal Government should demonstrate its sincerity
to fight corruption by taking concrete actions that would convince
the people.
He urged President Umaru Yar’Adua to ensure the passage of the Bills
as a matter of priority. |
