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FOI Act: Domestication by
states unnecessary- Senator Ayogu Eze
Danlami Nmodu
Newsdiaryonline Thur July 28,2011
Ayogu Eze,a senator of the federal republic and renowned
journalist who was
part of the struggle for the enactment of the new Freedom of
Information Act,FOIA has said that the attempts by states to
domesticate the law are unnecessary.He
spoke today at a sensitization workshop on FOIA for journalists
in Abuja.
Eze said the clarification became necessary because of the
claims that the new law would
only be applicable to states after it has been domesticated.He
maintained that the
FOIA is a national law that applies to
everyone and everywhere within the shores of Nigeria.He
said the FOIA is binding on every state or federal operative.
Eze however urged
journalists to use the law, which
he called a good piece of legislation, very responsibly.
Senator Smart Adeyemi,
former president of the
NUJ said there is
no doubt that the act will enhance the practice of journalism.He
believes the FOIA is
possibly the best law ever made in the country ,as it will
strengthen the fight against corruption –a menace capable of
destroying Nigeria. Adeyemi urged journalists to begin to put
the law into practice now.
Honorable Abike Dabiri, member House of Representatives renowned
for her steadfastness in the struggle for the law,
joined the call on practitioners to put the new law to
the test.She stated that FOIA will deepen democracy .Mr Edetaen
Ojo ,executive director,Media Rights Agenda,MRA said the FOIA
will henceforth have a significant impact on the way
journalists do their work.
The workshop was organized by the Nigerian Press Council and
Nigeria Union of JournalistS NUJ. Dignitaries at the event
included Mallam
Garba Mohammed NUJ president, Bayo Atoyebi,executive
secretary,Nigerian Press Council and Mr Gbenga Onayiga,NUJ
official and prominent broadcaster.Mallam Modibbo Kawu of
Blueprint newspaper delivered a paper as well as Barrister Kayod
Ajulo.One of the highpoints of the occasion was the presence of
Mrs Marilyn Ogar, spokeperson of the
State Security Service,SSS who in her brief comment gave
assurance that the service would continue to relate with
journalists amicably.
The
communique among others called on journalists to
"take up the courage to put the law into practice as necessary
challenges to the Act can only be determined when the law has
been put into practice".It also called on journalists to
"endeavour to adhere to the ethics of the profession and
also operate within the law."
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