Nigerians have been charged to always endeavour to utilise the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2021 and that it is by so doing that its effectiveness can be put to test.
This was the message passed to participants at a one day Peer Review meeting on the implementation of the Freedom of Information(FOI) Act 2021 held by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption(ROLAC) programme in Benin City.
The resource person at the programme, Dr. Walter Duru, Executive Director of Media Initiative Against Injustice, Violence and Corruption (MIIVOC), enjoined the participants, made up majorly of media practitioners and civil society groups, to always be proactive in putting the act to test so as to check the activities of corrupt public officials, politicians and contractors handling government contracts who feast on public funds.
He asserted that with time the imperfections that are inherent in the act will be taken note of and subsequently be reframed in due course.
Dr. Duru charged that not putting the act to test has accorded corrupt individuals the opportunity to continue to dig deeper into their acts of illegality at the detriment of the collective will of the people for good and responsive governance.
