The Federal Republic of Nigeria has finally removed existing impediments to the freedom of media organizations to publish news and information even when it is a government classified information or matter as long as these information are factual, objective and of consequence to a majority of the citizens of the nation.
However, in the supposed world's freest societies(western nations) there are still dimensions of restrictions to information. For instance, why is wiki-leaks precisely Julian Assange being victimized under the guise of sexual harassment following his move to let the world have access to information pertinent to their existence.
Does Freedom of Information really exist in any country of the world? Will Nigeria be an exception?
However, in the supposed world's freest societies(western nations) there are still dimensions of restrictions to information. For instance, why is wiki-leaks precisely Julian Assange being victimized under the guise of sexual harassment following his move to let the world have access to information pertinent to their existence.
Does Freedom of Information really exist in any country of the world? Will Nigeria be an exception?
82 comments:
08BE07289
Freedom of information does not really exist in any country of the world.
In fact the idea of ‘freedom’ does not exist. While freedom denotes the absence of boundaries, everything in the world begins and ends somewhere, that is, everything has boundaries. Where one person's freedom ends is where another person's freedom begins. To say that everything is ‘free’ within its niche means everything is free within the confines of set boundaries. This is self contradictory because the very existence of boundaries takes away freedom.
As regards Nigeria, media organizations have been given a wider scope of operation to access, give and receive information, but they have not, and cannot be given freedom of information. There are guidelines and clauses that determine whether or not certain information will be released. This already limits the so-called freedom, and there is nothing like ‘limited freedom,’ neither is there anything like ‘regulated/controlled freedom.’
Well articulated thoughts, Ajuma. So if true freedom does not exist, what is the excitement of the passed FOI bill for?
Nigeria will not and cannot be an exception.Why? Because no matter where you go to, there can never be freedom of all the information, talk less of the media organizations, who portray the mirror of the country to its citizens. So, no matter how satisfied the Government is about removing barriers to media's freedom, we journalists cannot be deceived because there are still Government restrictions of some information, especially the ones that occur amongst the leaders. Everywhere one goes(globally), there are rules and principles, that even shows that freedom for anyone to do what he/she likes is not imaginable.
I conclude by saying there is no freedom of information anywhere in the world, no matter how little or insignificant the principles are in that situation. The World's supposed freest societies are the developed nations.So,Nigeria as a developing nation is yet to know anything about freedom in their media institutions.And in my opinion,freedom of information will not exist in the world,now and in the future because there will always be restrictions, one way or the other.
Nigeria will not and cannot be an exception.Why? Because no matter where you go to, there can never be freedom of all the information, talk less of the media organizations, who portray the mirror of the country to its citizens. So, no matter how satisfied the Government is about removing barriers to media's freedom, we journalists cannot be deceived because there are still Government restrictions of some information, especially the ones that occur amongst the leaders. Everywhere one goes(globally), there are rules and principles, that even shows that freedom for anyone to do what he/she likes is not imaginable.
I conclude by saying there is no freedom of information anywhere in the world, no matter how little or insignificant the principles are in that situation. The World's supposed freest societies are the developed nations.So,Nigeria as a developing nation is yet to know anything about freedom in their media institutions.And in my opinion,freedom of information will not exist in the world,now and in the future because there will always be restrictions, one way or the other.
Nigeria will not and cannot be an exception.Why? Because no matter where you go to, there can never be freedom of all the information, talk less of the media organizations, who portray the mirror of the country to its citizens. So, no matter how satisfied the Government is about removing barriers to media's freedom, we journalists cannot be deceived because there are still Government restrictions of some information, especially the ones that occur amongst the leaders. Everywhere one goes(globally), there are rules and principles, that even shows that freedom for anyone to do what he/she likes is not imaginable.
I conclude by saying there is no freedom of information anywhere in the world, no matter how little or insignificant the principles are in that situation. The World's supposed freest societies are the developed nations.So,Nigeria as a developing nation is yet to know anything about freedom in their media institutions.And in my opinion,freedom of information will not exist in the world,now and in the future because there will always be restrictions, one way or the other.
The recent rounds of damning revelations about the intrigues, corrupt secrets and dirty operations of the country’s corporate and political classes have left nothing to imagination..Wikileaks is a whistle-blowing online medium, founded by Australian-born Julian Assange, on the premise that journalism should be scientific, saying that “as far as possible, facts should be verifiable.” Assange grew up as a nomadic boy and had once been charged to court for hacking into government documents. He took investigative journalism to another level by releasing documents on governments and corporate establishments in order to bring about reforms.In Nigeria,Meanwhile, as the Wikileaks rumbles continued to traverse the length and breadth of the world, little did many know that the clock of Wikileaks was ticking for Nigeria, as the website seemed to be looking the other way despite the intrigues, power plays and surreptitious activities of Nigerian politics.
However, like the Biblical writing on the wall, Nigeria got hit earlier in the month by the sandstorm of Wikileaks revelations and damning exposures of big players in the country’s political landscape and the hobnobbing with the US, leaving in its trail denials and in some cases silence. The recent exposures of certain issues which would have been tucked away from the views of Nigerians and become parts of several unknowable mysteries surrounding Nigerian government, an institution that appears to have become esoteric, were not only revealing but also informative to say the least. Despite the torrents of denials and bad-mouthing which the Wikileaks revelations have elicited from different quarters, there is no doubting the fact that the medium has exposed many average people to the intrigues and undercurrents of government activities.Dr Pius Azu, who commented on the implications of the revelations for the country, said: “The Wikileaks reports, either true or false as some people will want to make us believe is a good omen and a warning to government to stop shrouding its activities in secrecy. These revelations have served to establish the importance and need for free access to information, so I think government would react appropriately by ensuring greater access to information.” for instance,It is a known but uncelebrated fact that Shell rules Nigeria. The facts came to light when Abacha butchered hundreds with Nigerian soldiers bombarding Niger Delta during his reign on the orders of Shell Oil company. To follow up the event, Ken Saro Wiwa was killed by hanging just to bully the Deltans so they can get scared and give way to Shell exploration and exploitation. All at the expense of the destiny of our nation. The world now knows who rules Nigeria. Now Nigerians must find a way to break Shell's rule of blood spill. We are making progress as the information has opened our eyes the more
Furthermore, in our educational sector, information leaks have also not ceased because some greedy persons still derive pleasure in exploiting their fellow country men. The massive examination leakages, demand for gratification by teachers, bribe-taking by supervisors and invigilators of examinations have become a global phenomenon. This menace has resulted to general fallen standards of education and Nigeria is no exception, particularly among developing nations. Consequent upon this, all Nigerian universities have resorted to conducting post-entrance “Post-JAMB” examination/screening because of lack of confidence in the conduct of the entrance examinations. concerning the elections, The chairman of Nigeria's electoral commission says a twice-postponed vote for the oil-rich nation's National Assembly will be held on Saturday, though not in every region.
I believe WIKI-LEAKS is here to stay!!!
OGUNKO TOLULOPE 06BE03925.
i think Nigeria will be no exception as to the degree of freedom the press will have, and i think this is the best thing for Nigeria...i take my stand from the point of view which thomas hobbes analysed in his 'leviathan' a society where every man is his own voice of reason and there is no government or in this case restriction to freedom the press may exercise... in society, where a person's freedom ends, where his rights end another person's freedom begins..."In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short".
Leviathan XIII "Chapter XIII.: Of the Natural Condition of Mankind As Concerning Their Felicity, and Misery.
this is the same thing that will happen with the press if there is absolute freedom without boundaries...
08BE07333
The Freedom of Information bill being passed I feel is a planned that has already been destined to fail. Freedom of information? Where has that ever worked? Freedom in itself is an illusion, freedom in the real sense of the word has to do with something that has no bounds and though almost all people on the face of the earth desire to be free from all forms of restrictions this is a desire that has never become a reality in any part of the world.
In the U.S of A when the Slaves were freed they were only freed into the bondage of discrimination,a state of freedom only gives access to bondage of another.
In my perspective if the 'freedom' of information bill becomes law Nigeira will only be delving into the BONDAGE of great catastrophe.
Jullian Assange issue was because through his desire to create freedom of information he was pushing the earths entire population into the BONDAGE of 'Danger Paranoia'.
I beleieve the name of the bill should be changed to 'Access to more information bill' because information will never be totally free.
Ajiboye Taiwo-08be07300.Nigeria can't be an exception. i will to define the word 'freedom'means a state of no restrictions/boundaries. freedom is relative.Nigeria's is plagued with so many challenges/corruption that the freedom of information may not be successful.The FOI bill has a limitation as there is no total freedom because before you are given some vital information, you have to declare your identity and the informee also has to verify your identity. the identification life span/duration is already a limitation. Nothing is free in life so this FOI bill is a kind of facade as we still have corrupt leaders that they not give you the right information even after verification. prior to the UN declaration of the right to seek, impact and receive information, there is still no freedom of information. Nigeria cannot be an exception.
08BE07302
My view of the FOI bill is that i feel the federal government just wants to use the FOI bill to make Nigerains think the federal government is a transperent one, there is sincerely nothing like freedom there is no way there will be freedom if some certain facts are still censored from media organizations and from the citizens; then there is no freedom of information. In Nigeria, we can never exprience total freedom of information. the FOI bill cannot be functional.
The freedom of information is good, yes, with another name given to it. something free should not have limitations, but whether we like it or not, information can never be free. people will hoard it, some will end up selling it- like the market oriented flow. so i really think information cannot be free, it is still limited in scope.
The freedom of information is good, yes, with another name given to it. something free should not have limitations, but whether we like it or not, information can never be free. people will hoard it, some will end up selling it- like the market oriented flow. so i really think information cannot be free, it is still limited in scope.
08BE07303
First and foremost, the freedom of Information (FOI) Bill is a Bill that gives every Nigerian a legal right of access to information, records, and documents held by government bodies and private bodies carrying out public functions.
Therfore looking at our nation today,the fact that freedom has been an issue since the colonial era, I cannot but personally say that the FOI BILL could not have come at a better time as this, though it has spent more than two years awaiting approval from the senate house...I believe its time to set the Comunication industry straight... as the FOI Bill wiil no doubt bring seriousness and value to the ethics of journalism and the industry as a whole. Also creating a better image for our nation...NIGERIA.
AJAYI TAIWO- 08BE07299.FOI itself supports information. nigeria cannot be an exception because every single citizen has the right to get his or her own informaton. i think the federal government are only trying to make us have an idea of what they do, that is why they pass some information to us through the media.
Agboola Tobiloba-08BE07298 says:Secrets are not evil when your enemies would use those secrets against you. Until we have no enemies in this world who would seek to destroy us and our way of life then our government should protect us even if it means restraining some information from the general public, I believe that there is no absolute freedom of information in any country in the world, though there might be some level of freedom, but i don't believe any country would want to jeopardise national security by releasing there most classified information.Therefore i believe that the FOI bill is limited in Nigeria and all around the world.
I want to highlight another important aspect of this FOI bill. There seems to be a conflict of interest in the National Assembly and Senate. Everybody knows how much money Nigeria pays these persons. FOI bill will give the masses more power to rise up against such outrageous practices in government. And these are the same persons through whom the bill passed. Is it really possible that these people passed a bill which will in the long run deprive them of their 'obese' paychecks?
Or has the bill been restructured in such a way that it will protect some persons' personal interests?
O8BE07353
Off course freedom of information exists, and Nigeria is definitely not an exception. There should be freedom of information in Nigeria because the denial of access to the information and the attendant widespread ignorance in the society does more harm to the society than any harm that could possibly arise from granting access to members of the public. That access to information would enhance the development of any nation and stressed that there was therefore a pressing need for a Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria and that the law would be of great benefit to all sectors of the society.
The freedom of Information law will enhance the speedy release of justice, it would strengthen the democratic process as it will make it possible for citizens to hold the government accountable and be involved in all facets of policy formulation and implementation.I therefore recommend that the National Assembly should pass the Bill as quickly as possible, while the President should also assent to it, when it is passed by the National Assembly. In anticipation of the passage of the Bill and the need to ensure its effective implementation, efforts should be made to engage the planning, research and statistics department of virtually all ministries, parastatals and commissions to make them aware of what is expected of them when the Bill becomes law and how to respond to request for public information that are in their custody. And as the definition of freedom of information says, “it must not endanger the nation”. In order to ensure effective implementation of a Freedom of Information law, there is a need for an administrative body to be charged with overseeing the implementation of the proposed law.
ALOGBA RAFIAT 08BE07308 Freedom of information does not exist in any country. Do you know what freedom really means? Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Even in Freetown everything is not free.
There cannot be freedom of media organizations to publish news and information because they will be restricted in some news and I don't think that is the definition of freedom.
The FOI bill should change that because it is not possible. Because there is limitation of information. If journalist should report on what they are not suppose to report on they can be killed or jailed, that is not freedom, that is hindrance.
No!!! Nigeria cannot be an exception, there cannot be freedom of information, for me FOI bill has failed because the definition of freedom cannot be used.
WARRI JUDITH .E.0BE07357
In the name of official secrets, somebody sits on information that will benefit millions of people. In advanced countries, some of (this) classified information would ordinarily be found on the internet," observes Ayode.
"If these secrecy laws are not there, people will sit up. If you know the public will get access to your fraudulent acts you will not do it," he adds. Enter the proposed Freedom of Information Bill.
THE FOI bill is good, but one thing about the FOI bill that scares me is the fact that anybody regardless of nationality, that part am not too comfortable with, Nigeria is not tecnological sound to detect if a foreigner needs the information to destroy the country or not. there is one thing to have a good intention there is another thing to see it manifest just as you have imagined or planned it to happen. the intention behind this bill is good, Nigeria's corruption state might not allow this intention to mature, they please consider someof the impediments, and not sell our country and everything with open eyes and smile all in the name of modernization.
WARRI JUDITH .E.
Nigeria should not be an exception,so i will no to the FOI BILL. THE BILL ALSO NEEDS CHANGE OF NAME IT SHOULD BE INFORMATION ACCESS BILL.
(08BE07322)The freedom of information should not be for everyone but for media practitioners because if there is freedom of information for all Nigerians, there would be chaos but when its the media, the Government will be checked and corruption rate will be reduced. Nigeria would not be an exception.
(08BE07336) One thing we should all know is that there is absolutely nothing like freedom because it doesn't exist even within ourselves.The FOI bill is going to cause a lot of calamity in our information system because anyone; be it citizens or not will have access to information and package it in a way to suit his own interest and we should remember that it is very difficult for us to be objective. We should also know that huge emphasy is going to be placed on bad news and with the image we have outside, it will not be advisable for Nigeria to be included in the FOI bill.
I disagree with Judith Warri because presently Nigerians and journalists have access to relevant information.If some content of information are seen by the public, there might me serious misinterpretation, which mighthave negative impacts.....To me, the FIO bill should not be passed.
08be07300. FOI bill is supposed to do the following:
1. make the leaders/politicians to be accountable and responsive to the people.
2. ensure transparency in governance.
3. allow journalists/researchers to get adequate information.
4. eliminate the threat to lives of journalists, their imprisonment and withdrawal of license.
But some of our leaders and civil servants may give out false information and half-truths. This will make the advantages of the FOI bill almost impossible in Nigeria. that is why I am saying Nigeria will not be an exception: there cannot be freedom of information.
Akinwumi Adjua 08BE07305
As Ajuma and others have rightly stated, the word freedom in its absolute sense can not exist without detriment to the general society. We are given a box or confinement in which are given free reign... the logic is this "Be free, but let your freedom have limits".
Relating this to Press freedom, it often begs the questions "Where does it start and end?" "Just how much do we really need to know?" and "is it worth releasing the information even if it puts lives at risk?”
Personally, i advocate for press freedom, give the press unlimited reign and the government would be forced to check themselves. So how much press freedom is too much freedom? This is the issue that drives the Wikileaks scandal, should we in a bid to promote press freedom release information that may be damaging to our nation at large. Should confidential secrets be put on the internet for any Tom, Dick and Harry to access?
As a Pro-press freedom advocate I myself am in a Dilemma. If we say they should restrict it,and barr the press from information that is confidential and damaging we give the government an umbrella to hide all of their dirty deeds in the name of CONFIDENTIALITY.
I say we should go ahead with the FOI bill and bear its risk. A nation should not have secrets within itself. Although I have my reservations on what Assange did I commend him for pushing press freedom to its limit. The American government couldnt even come to him direct but had to build a conspiracy with Sweden to get him arrested. Lets go for the FOI bill...lets do it!!!
(08BE07319)Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at a minimal cost. This is to say that there is no total freedom if we still have to pay to get this information. I suggest that National Assembly should look at other countries that have adopted FOI and see how far they have gone, because there are over 86 countries that have adopted this, yet nothing has been heard of them, therefore National Assembly should engage in thorough research before engaging in the freedom of information system.
The issue of whether or not FOI exists in any country or if it will work out in Nigeria is not something that should be debated on because as far as i am concerned it can never exist in any country; the corruption in every sector of the country is enough for it not to work. the issue of freedom of information is just brought in by most countries to fulfill all righteousness apart from that, it has no relevance in the country. no matter what happens, there will still be limitations to the access of information because no one wants anything negative to be in the limelight, especially because that is what is happening in the country tommorow, the government will do everything possible to limit access of information. Nigeria cannot in any way be an exception, we haven't reached the point where we can give information freely to the media, we still have skeletons in our cupboards...
Akinwumi Adjua 08BE07305
Relating to the question, “Can Nigeria be an exception” then I have to DISAGREE with half the class. Can Nigeria be an exception, of course it’s possible. If we can build a government that hides no secrets from its public then the FOI bill will work. Why is the American government after Assange? because he exposed secret operations that the US had within the Middle East and because they couldn’t charge him for anything illegal so they had to invent watery evidence on a baseless case of rape. If we can build a transparent government then we have nothing to be afraid of. The FOI bill aims to promote transparency in government why are we so afraid to embrace it. The problem is not with the bill its with the government.
The simple answer is NO, Nigeria cannot be an exception not because we are third world or were born with corruption in our bellies but because the concept of freedom itself is subjective; who determines what freedom entails, how do we identify freedom, what criteria do we measure the level of freedom to receive or access information. But most importantly, the system in place in Nigeria and I dare say the western society (who we follow blindfolded and open armed) at large is already opposed to the proposed structure of information being available to all Nigerians, it is the same people the FOI bill attempts to make answerable to the people that are passing adjusting and re-adjusting it. As it stands, the issues initially put forth in the bill have already been greatly watered down. The verification process is already too long a time such that it not only discourages people interested in this information but also provides a long enough period of time for any incriminating information to be destroyed probably in an imaginary fire, distorted, stolen or whatever reason these legislators could possibly come up with, and I wouldn’t put anything behind them. Lets briefly review the FOI bill, this bill has been proposed since 2000, and even in 2006 when Obasanjo was reportedly set to assent it the process got tied somewhere between the house of Assembly and the Senate and they successfully left it hanging for over a decade. If Julian Assange could be shut down by the U.S government (for a case of sexually harassing one woman and raping another, which his lawyer described as one of the weakest cases he had ever seen: there is very little if any at all evidence against Assange) how much more would Nigeria with the more open system of corruption and the uninvestigated killings be, even if the law is eventually passed things would most likely remain business as usual. The primary purpose of the freedom of information is to hold the government accountable to the people, how then can this truly occur when the government( the executive the legislature and the judiciary) is in charge of making laws, passing these laws, stealing, looting, misappropriating (and whatever fancy name they come up with next) the money and still be expected to release incriminating evidence against themselves. Idealism is a thing of the mind; reality is right in front of us
08BE07343
The answer to the first question is: NO! Freedom of Information in the literal sense of it does not exist anywhere in the world and it never can. however, i must point out that there is a certain level of transparency that a nation can attain before you can say they have "Freedom of Information". now this Freedom is not absolute freedom as we must note that certain information cannot be revealed to the mass. Most freedom of information laws exclude the private sector from their jurisdiction and Information held by the private sector cannot be accessed as a legal right.
That being said, i can say that YES! Nigeria can attain this but realistically speaking, it would take a pretty long while and this is simply due to the level of corruption existing in the country and might i add that we have been battling this corruption for over 5 decades... There's hope for Nigeria but just not soon.
What is FOI worth when the national archives are a mess? Routinely we also hear of state Secretariat's burning at the end of four-year terms... we rely on UN data to tell us how many children are dying in our own country. for instance, how do we access whether priority should be given to one corner of Zamfara over the others? Point is FOI is worth nothing if it leaves room for data manipulation and destruction. Perhaps the 'ninjas' have realised this and are now selling us this hoax. I cringe. We should be talking about 'Data Protection' relating to state development. y'all are about to celebrate access to empty or missing files.
Therefore information can never be free in developing countries, freedom is a relative term that means different things in its context, freedom of information in a developing country could mean giving more access to information it does not mean total access to information. Developing countries are characterised with inadequate infrastructure, out dated technology, poor economic power,political instability and selfish interest , as the case is in Nigeria. if we want the FOI bill to be applicable in Nigeria we have to work on why we are still under-developed also on our integrity, so as to not to take the advantages of freedom of information to our pocket. Then the FOI Bill will perfectly work in Nigeria and uproot the ills of governance.With all these, Nigeria will be no exception to freedom of information
08BE07304 Akinnuga seyi.
There is actually nothing free in life but to an extent I will say this is actually one freedom for all Nigerians. Nigerians and all human race that believe in accountability and collective governance responsibility deserve this bill. This is not the end and should not be seen as the end as all Nigerian can now effectively monitor all public officials. I also want to advice the government to immediately commence enlightening the country of this landmark right so it is not abused. The biggest task ahead is how to weed out quacks operating within the system and get to credible sources so that Nigerians can have honest debates on issues concerning the public good. I hope to see the day when investigative journalism will use this Right to expose corrupt crooks and allies who have held Nigeria back for so long. In summary I will say this will help give journalism a new face lift and also the rebranding of investigative journalism in our country today.
however,as this bill is ued for the first time,there might be3 likages due that is why the people should be well enlightened.
freedom of information,though the term is used is not a reality. nigeria as a country is not even a free communication society, some reporters and tv stations still get sanctioned for publishing news or stories not appealing to the government.Nigeria not even any country can attain free flow or freedom of information. a country where biases and corruption abound will always have something to hide.
Myra 08BE07331, the freedom of information bill I think is not the solution in Nigeria and as such should not be given much consideration. Information can never...I repeat never be free anywhere in the world even in the USA.
Virtually all government information in Nigeria is classified as top secret. Longe Ayode of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a Lagos-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), says this veil of secrecy makes it difficult to get information from any state agency.
"If you want useful information from a government department, they will not give it to you. They will tell you it is classified information," he told IPS.
A plethora of laws prevents civil servants from divulging official facts and figures, notably the Official Secrets Act which makes it an offence not only for civil servants to give out government information - but also for anyone to receive or reproduce such information. Further restrictions are contained in the Evidence Act, the Public Complaints Commission Act, the Statistics Act and the Criminal Code amongst others.
In conclusion, let us all bear in mind that there can never be Freedom of Information, the earlier this is realised the better for us.
Lyniee....it would take a eternity to build a transparent government. with a country like ours were corruption has eaten deep into our bones,free government will be a mirage.fine, Assange has done nothing wrong buh dats politics. you can imagine a country well exposed and developed involved in a scam like dis, then what do u expect from Nigeria a country led by the selfish and ambitious. i repeat Nigeria can never be an exception. Only God can help us.
Udeme Akpan 08BE07306
I strongly disagree with Amaka Udeagha's opinion. in the real sense and in our world today, there’s nothing like freedom. This much talked about FOI Bill definitely has limitations to it. it’s funny how our leaders are advocating for this when they know deep within that its off no use and has no stand .i can strongly say that nothing goes for nothing. If really they want this FOI Bill, we should be asking them questions on the risks and what exactly they want. Let’s take our dear country Nigeria as an example, we say we r free and independent but we still depend on the developed countries for almost everything we need and these countries definitely have a say on the policies in our country.
In our society today, information is being passed across to people through the media what more do we want. If there's anything like freedom without limitation, then the country is sure to be at risk, the image and security would be brought to noting, there would be no need for journalists as everybody would have access to any kind of information. It would also lead to invasion of privacy. Not every kind of information is public information. Freedom will definitely lead to a chaos in the society.
In all i believe there is no need for this bill as it is a waste of time. They are only putting more lives at risk.
O.k. so after they get this information what happens, we only get to know more of their dirty deeds and do absolutely nothing about it. FOI is a dream Nigerians should wake up to reality, our politicians are ready to do anything to get to the top. They would not allow anybody come in their way. the bill should have a change of name if and only if our leaders will let it be.
Nigeria of all countries can never be an exception.
Relating to the question, “Can Nigeria be an exception” then I have to DISAGREE with half the class. Can Nigeria be an exception, of course it’s possible. If we can build a government that hides no secrets from its public then the FOI bill will work. Why is the American government after Assange? because he exposed secret operations that the US had within the Middle East and because they couldn’t charge for anything illegal they had to invent watery evidence on a baseless case of rape. If we can build a transparent government then we have nothing to be afraid of. The FOI bill aims to promote transparency in government why are we so afraid to embrace it.
Unexposed
Scam
Lyniee....it would take a eternity to build a transparent government. with a country like ours were corruption has eaten deep into our bones,free government will be a mirage.fine, Assange has done nothing wrong buh dats politics. you can imagine a country well exposed and developed involved in a scam like dis, then what do u expect from Nigeria a country led by the selfish and ambitious. i repeat Nigeria can never be an exception. Only God can help us.
{VIATOR VICTORIA A. 08BE07356} there is not much to be said as we have all said it all but we should consider that our beloved country is widely known as one of the world's most corrupt countries, and if statistically checked, i am positive that we will be blazing the trail as the most secretive. the FOI bill will not curb all the traits of corruption in the country, but will be able to do a little of that.government information that is supposed to be known to the public is being hoarded and given the exclusive tittle "top secret", not because they are for national security or anything but because some very powerful ones amongst us have committed some atrocities that they don't want the public 2 know about, even students do not have access to vital information that will help their research which is supposed to in turn improve and promote the country's conditions, not leaving out journalists who have lost their lives in the process of getting information. in my own opinion, though it will not completely wipe out corruption, it will help minimize it, in the sense that it will serve as checks and balances to those who have been stealing our money,.i.e If you know the public will get access to your fraudulent acts you will not do it. it will curb the excesses of those ones, and also give students and journalists, easy access to information. i think this should be a progressive start for Nigeria. And now answering the question, the countries operating with the FOI bill are not as corrupt as Nigeria is,this bill might be able to take us a step further.
Well articulated thoughts and views on the FOI bill in Nigeria and the world at large. But who says Nigeria can not be the pacesetter, trail blaizer and the pathfinder for true free access to information especially about public offices and officers?
08BE07295
The dictionary definition of freedom is: 1.) The condition of being free; the power to act, speak or think without externally imposed restraints. 2.Immunity from an obligation or duty. Even the synonym of the word freedom is "Exemption".
From this, we can readily say that the true idea and meaning of freedom in nonexistent. The concept of freedom s simply a barren on that holds intent, but can never be actualized. to be free means to be void of any form of limitation whatsoever, while reporting, be it moral, spiritual, physical, financial, and all the other forms of regulations and restrictions that we have currently.
To be free means to live in a world that has no boundaries...bearing in mind that man is by natural instinct a selfish being, such "freedom" will undoubtedly be misused for personal gain more times than not.
Unfortunately, our world is still very much a dog-eat-dog world, where survival means crushing anyone who so much as stands in your way to get ahead.
This fact has already been recognized in the Western countries that we incessantly strive to emulate, and that is why in these supposed world's freest societies(western nations) there are still dimensions of restrictions to information.
Information is knowledge, power, and unrestricted access to it gives the recipient power. we haven't even begun to utilize and fully participate in a global information society and yet The Federal Republic of Nigeria is already removing existing impediments to the freedom of media organizations to publish news and information even when it is a government classified information or matter as long as these information are factual, objective and of consequence to a majority of the citizens of the nation. What a laugh!
Even from this statement, we can already see that there have been limitations set on the freedom, "...as long as these information are factual, objective and of consequence to a majority of the citizens of the nation."
this is the only type of freedom that we can have for now in Nigeria, and even at that, this so called free journalism will be influenced by poverty, societal ills, and even family.
The plain, simple and honest truth is that the reality of true freedom, unrestricted unlimited freedom, is a facade and window dressing for the manipulation and/or control that will still brew under the surface of our country Nigeria!
I must say that there cannot be total freedom of information in any country and Nigeria cannot be an exception. Throughout history, human have longed for total freedom. However people have to make some sacrifices or sacrifice their total freedom in order to live in a peaceful democratic society. In every society, there are laws and should not be violated and if they are violated, there will surely be consequences. This shows that there cannot total freedom in a society and no total freedom means there is no freedom in short since a person is bound by certain laws. As regards to Freedom of Information, I do not think there is such a thing as freedom of information in any country in the world. Like Agboola Tobi said, there is bound to be extremely classified information about a country’s security that if released may put the nation in danger. In addition to this, it is sure that not all the places a journalist goes to get information is he granted access. There are places that reporters do not have access to despite the existence of the Freedom of Information Bill or Law. To think Nigeria will be an exception to me is just a joke and will only remain a thought. This our corrupt nation cannot give total freedom to journalist. For instance, journalist for the fear of losing their jobs will not want to go against their employers for publishing antagonizing stories and articles. So they will act according to the interests of their employer and any story their employers disapprove will definitely not be published, so where is the freedom. Another example is when our journalist start going for vital information that is life changing and can put powerful public figures into jails, it is sure that there will be hindrances to such journalists either spiritual or physical hindrances that after much frustration, the journalist will end up giving up. We all know that most Nigerians now do not like much stress. So therefore, there is no Freedom of Information anywhere, neither will Nigeria make a difference to the world in relation to this.
Osota Bukunmi 08BE07348
08BE07351
From what we have learnt in class there is nothing like absolute freedom. And if we face reality there is really nothing like absolute freedom that we can see in the case of Julian Assange, why is it that it was when wiki leaks exposed major government information that he was charged for sexual assault.
There are also certain categories of information that are exempted from the general right of access and such information includes: Defence/security matters’ Law enforcement investigation, Trade secrets, Financial, commercial, and technical and scientific information of economic value.
Who would give these information to people, secrets like these are kept from public knowledge so what is absolute freedom then
This really doesn’t make much sense but a change can always start with Nigeria, that one thing I want to believe but with so much imperialism I have some convictions to doubt such changes.
"The idea of a Freedom of Information law for Nigeria was conceived in 1993 by three different organisations, working independently of each other. The organisations, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), subsequently agreed to work together on a campaign for the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act.
The objective of the campaign was to lay down as a legal principle the right of access to documents and information in the custody of the government or its officials and agencies as a necessary corollary to the guarantee of freedom of expression. It was also aimed at creating mechanisms for the effective exercise of this right."
if truly this is the bill, it will actually make a whole lot of sense and it will reduce the government malpractises that are dominant in the nation as well as building trust and transparency.
however, the name should be revised as following the fact that there is no freedom of information. even the yet to be passed bill does not affect the private sector organizations,
there can never be anything like freedom of information in either the first or the third countries because whether we like it or not there will always be an information that will be harmful to our loved ones and let us be subjective here our families come first, so whichever way we look at it, even if the government passes the bill and it is implemented, will it be the same thing in the private media offices.
'Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'I see Karl Marx to be no fool, I am also confident that we all know that being the corrupt and extreme nature of not only Nigerians this time but mankind, this information will turn into something with which people will wield power. To what is good it then? even if this bill is passed into lawe, this will not be the first law that will be exploited into a money-making venture. Take for example the issue of the bank records of politicians which will then have to be made public. What bank manager would not accept 1o million to keep quiet about 100 million? the passing of this bill into law isn't really going to be the rapturous breakthrough we think it will be.Dont the public have a right to good and cheap treatment at public hospitals? Do they get it? Seeing this bill as an end to corruption really is looking at things upside down.Beside nI still stand with the official secrets act, stating before anyone gives me any explanation about not giving out harmful information that what is harmful to the govtment could just be a gist to the public. Also let us look at the risk of this on Nigeria's image. We are to them already lower than the ground they walk on, do we really want to convince them withut doubt that that is who we really are, chasing even more potential investors. Also there really casnnot be absolute freedom, and if there was,absolute freedom dpoes not mean absolute honesty,THESE FACTS CAN ALWAYS BE FALSIFIED!!Thus I would rather this bill is more specific than this chaotic freedom being proposed.An objection raised in class was that to avoid misuse there would be a three month period in which the person wwould be cross-checked.Need I poinbt out the flaw in that? maybe I do, first of all even the person can be falsifiued, i.e someone who has no need for the oinformation being used as a front for someone who does.Secondly, as miss ada sonia said in class tht it would be useful top us who are doing our final year project,which supoervisor will allow me three whole months of being in limbo and doing nothing else on my project because my request for information is being processed?Point duly made I believe.08BE07346,IRETI OLUWAGBEMI
As for me from what i have learnt, freedom of information doesn't exist in any country,the objective of freedom of information was to bring about free access to information by the media to the public but actually its the other way round,the idea behind these laws is to protect vital government information, but the level of secrecy is so ridiculous that some classified government files contain ordinary information like newspaper cuttings which are already in the public domain
If you want useful information from a government department, they will not give it to you. They will tell you it is classified information, of which it isn't and Nigeria is not an exception to this rather its a very good example of such country that hinders the publicity of governmental informations. Miracle 08BE07358.
(BUZUGBE NKEM 08BE07315)longman dictionary defines freedom as the a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions
freedom of information is contextual depending on the environment, in the western countries freedom is not free as their picture/say it some information are being restricted and even journalist are jailed or threatened for not mentioning their sources same as Nigeria.
Nigeria today is like Guatemala of Flaquer's time, as realities on ground in the practice of journalism, prove that more than courage and boldness is often needed in getting the work done.
Nigeria can be a pacesetter if the political will is acheived and our government is sincere and truthful with the citizens.
According to the note we were given in class and the explanations that followed suit, the political status of a country is a major determinant of the level of freedom of the press or the access to information given to the citizens of the country. This is very applicable in our own country, Nigeria. We are being deceived to be running the democratic system of government whereas in actual fact our so called godfathers pick those who they want to lead the country and at the end of the day, these leaders are made to carry out the desires of godfathers hence the idea of election rigging. If at the end of the day the FOI bill is passed, we would never be able to access information at our will. These same godfathers would restrict the access of information that affects their own progress. They would restrict access to information that affects their public image and probably release information that would affect their opponents. These politicians would restrict and limit information and at the end of the day where is the freedom of access to information in the idea? Nigeria once again would be under a stronghold that would be difficult for us to break loose of. So at the end of the day we begin to ask ourselves in future..why did we support the taking of such decisions?
EFEKOHA OGHENETEJIRI 08BE07317
Freedom of press or information is a facade. This is something the people in power have made up to make the masses think they have an idea of what is really going on around them. The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) is supposed to be a federal law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the government- this will never happen. Why u ask? As Ireti said power corrupts and it corrupts absolutely- take for instance “the assassination of Funsho Williams” t after about a week or two his case was shut down and we never heard anything about it again. Nigerian politicians are barbaric and would do anything to keep people from finding out about their dirty deeds and this goes for Governments all over the world. So we can see that there would always be something to hide and there would always be “TOPSECRETS” that the masses would never know anything about.
NAMTIRA 08be07316
well as we discussed in class before the passing of this FOI bill is as good as useless especially in Nigeria. the passing of this bill means that information; however you want it, whenever you want it given, whoever you want it from, it will be given to you but looking at this context and looking at Nigeria as a whole our economy would not allow this bill to make sense to Nigerians.
freedom means a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions
In Nigeria to be very truthful and honest we can’t have freedom of information Nigeria has never been an exception and will not start now. Let’s take a look at the bill that says "...as long as these information are factual, objective and of consequence to a majority of the citizens of the nation." there's still a restriction on the passage of the bill. freedom means total removal as miss ada sonia said of all impediments to the freedom of media organizations to publish news and information even when it is a government classified information or matter as long as these information are factual, objective and of consequence to a majority of the citizens of the nation.
The freedom of information bill in Nigeria would not fulfill its purpose therefore transparency would not be successful and we would always have half truths. In Nigeria, there would be no expection.
tofunmi oyewole 08be07350
08BE07352
In all sincerity, there is nothing called 'absolute freedom'.If that Freedom Of Information bill is passed to law in Nigeria there would be absolutely nothing to live for because every man's business automatically becomes yours.
According to MRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo,he said “this provision will place an enormous burden on citizens who would be required to first go to court to justify why they require any piece of information, record or document; satisfy the court that the information would not undermine national security and obtain the court’s approval before even applying to the relevant public institution for the information, record or document”. This is in no sense related to Freedom. According to Encarta, freedom is the ability to act freely, a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions.
If the FOI bill which is claimed to have been passed to the Senate in Nigeria since February 26, 2011 for concurrence is actually needed, then there would be no need for the information because every individual as access to the information that the government classified as top secret.
For the benefit of the Nation, and the rate of development that we have achieved and are yet to achieve, the FOI bill should not be passed into law to avoid handling significant information in the wrong hands or better still, it should be reviewed and renamed.
Nigeria can be a pacesetters if they are willing for change as the case may be there would a serious exception In Nigeria as the bill would not exactly what it supposed to do. Lets also note to all those that are saying it means any information can be published by anybody that this FOI bill is passed specially for the media practitioners not for the general public and we should note that as journalists we have the right to publish what is right and what is wrong .AFOLABI YEWANDE 08BE07297.
Chiamaka(08BE07355)
There is NO freedom of information anywhere in the world and Nigeria can`t be an exception,you will all agree with me that the state of access to information is very poor and that is because there are some people, most especially people in the public service that will never let information be free because of what they have to hide.FOI bill will take us a step further no doubt about that but it will only bring about access to more information and not absolute freedom of information just like Toluwani said.
speaking on the freedom of information bill, nigeria can not be an exception simply because the so called developed nations in which nigeria looks up to or rather say models its pattern after do not have that total freedom of diseminating information on whatever kind of classified and non-classified information.
Nigeria, is not an exception even as the so called FOI bill is passed, there would be very tough restrictions on it. These restrictions placed by the Nigerian government would not be to protect vital and classified information to protect national security but rather to guard their greedy whims and desires.
i would like to add to what Miss Ada sonia posted on why can't Nigeria be the pacesetter. it is really possible, but due to the prevalent high corruption level in our country for now let us rule it out.
OTUYEMI IDOWU ADETAIO 08BE07349
FUNKE DEBO OGUNLEYE(08BE07337)- At Justina, how can you say The Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill should be limited to just media practitioners, I mean, FOI Bill is a Bill that, if passed into law, will give "every Nigerian" a legal right of access to information, records, and documents held by government bodies and private bodies carrying out public functions. Besides this could be a serious challenge or rather, threat to the career of media practitioners because when every one is given access to information there won't be need for media practitioners. Logically there is nothing like freedom as it is depicted in many Nigerian laws which have secrecy clauses prohibiting the disclosure of information e.g. the Official Secret Act, the Criminal Code, the Penal Code, etc. and am of no doubt that same would be done in this case as certain categories of information are exempted from the general right of access and such information include; Defence/security matters’ The conduct of international affairs, Law enforcement investigation, Trade secrets, Financial, commercial, and technical and scientific information of economic value among others. In conclusion, we have always adopted the British system and if the Britons fail at executing unlimited freedom, how do you think Nigerian's would do?
passing the FOI Bill or not makes no difference in Nigeria... those who will be given the chance to speak will speak, and those who will be shut up will be. the entire idea is just an illusion... a fantasy... if information is meant to be an instrument that must be readily available to anyone at anytime, i dont exactly suppose the president will care less about the scandal of him using his nephew's head for rituals, if that be told. but NOOOO... "who darest post such info on public face?" the information bill can be approved if it has to, buh it will never be a reality... it will just be like the coven where the cauldron is said to sit buh no one has ever seen it... there, buh not there... there, buh not practical... the Nigerian Government is cynical and dirty... they are ready to take out whoever tries to bring out their info... whatever will bring out their blossom is joyfully an alrightable published material, buh something that demeans their ego and their pride is a suicide mission on the info promoters... there are zillions of stories that not even our centurian generations will ever know of... buh they are there, covered by the mud infested dirt, money, threat and all them other stuff that the govt and ppl in high authority will use to conceal these "history making" stories...
Freedom of Anything is possible buh one thing Nigeria will never provide is the Freedom of Information...
Ogidan Korede... 08BE07335
08be07345
at funke.. i strongly support your position but if this bill is passed, don't you feel it will give Nigerians a say as a nation and will be able to monitor the actions of our leaders, if Nigerians have this "veto" power, leadership will naturally and originally return to the people and then building a platform of absolute transparency and trust.....
however the part were every Nigerian has access to should be reconsidered to avoid information overload, if everybody knows everything then the would be no need for reporters or news men anymore. this bill should give access to only valid and registered personnel, by doing that, information will remain in the hands of those who know what to do with it and it will curb information leaks as well, i support the FOI bill, but should be revised to fit the functions and objectives because there is no absolute freedom anywhere in the country.
IZUAKOR (08BE07325)
I have to start with saying that there is nothing like freedom because everything in life has a limit or should I use the word 'a catch' to it. You can only say that there is freedom when there is no such thing as restriction to limit the type or source of the information. This means that irrespective of who you are you can walk into a government organization and demand for any record you want ant it will be passed to you. The catch here in this situation is that there is no way classified information can be released if when released to the wrong hands can harm the country. This fact is already a restriction on its own, meaning no freedom because freedom is total.
On this note I can confidently say that Nigeria will not be an exception.
Yes, there are many benefits to the freedom of information bill like transparency in government, more accurate information, journalists are more protected etc, but let’s not look only at the bright side and think too about what if such information fell into the wrong hands. Not everyone is self righteous. It is also important to look at this situation not as an individual but as a nation, the repercussion of such a feat will affect everyone.
In conclusion, I am not entirely in support of the freedom of information bill, if Nigeria must pass a bill giving more information to the press its improper to use the word freedom when in the actual sense there is no such word in reality.
i quite agree with funke, freedom of information bill should be passed no matter what, i feel no news should be censored, any ways that is why it called news, something new and that everybody should hear about no matter what, but now it is not being used, as government officials pay journalists to hide certain information, i feel, it should be looked at and any media house limting this FOI Bill sholud be dealt with by the laws of our great land,NIGERIA..
ezinwa iwelu 08be07324
Deola; 08BE07310 says
like a number of people have stated, there is nothing like absolute freedom because freedom means without restrictions and/or boundaries and this doesn't even happen in individual lives not to talk of in an heterogeneous community. The whole talk of a transparent government to me is farfetched because it is virtually impossible to tell the world everything you do everytime.
answering the first question about freedom of information existing in any country of the world, the answer is no because as I earlier stated nobody tells everybody exactly everything. Some of us said that FOI sud be for media practitioners and I agree with that because if every citizen has access to the same amount of information then the media practitioners would be rubbed of their duty of informing the public which is one of their basic responsibilities. this is part of the reasons why the FOI bill would not work in Nigeria for a couple of reasons and one of it is the level of corruption in the country. This media practitioners that are meant to aid the accountability of government officials will still accept bribes from these officials so how will they help in ensuring transparency in government. We should also not forget that the reasons why they will accept bribe is because media practitioners are not well paid.
In essence before we can hope for something close to an FOI bill in Nigeria we should make sure media practitioners are reminded of the ethics of journalism and are also more comfortable. They should be sanctioned when they take sides with government officials, collect bribes and don't give stories objectively. When all these are in place, the probability that they will give all sides to the information they have access to is heighten.
Finally, I think the excitement of the passed FOI bill is not because there will be freedom of information, it is because there will be access to more information.
I am fully in support of the FOI bill, provided it be properly executed. Nigeria is sorely in need of a corruption-free law that takes the interests of Nigerians into consideration. However, as with almost everything in life, moderation is key. At the risk of sounding redundant, there is nothing like complete,total freedom... if there was, the world would be a chaotic place to live in. Therefore, restrictions should put in place; boundaries that journalists should not,by any means, cross. Nigerians have every right to know the truth and enforcement of the Rule of Law combined with the FOI bill, would help achieve this and make Nigeria a better place, where nothing is swept under the rug.
But there's a thin line between the search for truth and gross invasion of privacy. Nigerian journalists should learn not to cross it and would if proper sanctions are put in place to punish such violations.
Nwakanma Sonia.
07BE05522
(08BE07337)@ Gbolade- The bill has already been passed and this bill isn't the best way to air everyone's opinion. The Britons who our system is modeled after were not stupid when they created a free press that limits veto power administered to the press through clauses, which in lame man language is known as restriction. In essence, too many cooks spoil the broth.
(08BE07337)@ Gbolade- All Nigerians can't be allowed free access to information.
08BE07313
The issue of whether or not FOI exists in any country or if it will work out in Nigeria is not something that should be debated on because as far as i am concerned it can never exist in any country; the corruption in every sector of the country is enough for it not to work. the issue of freedom of information is just brought in by most countries to fulfill all righteousness apart from that, it has no relevance in the country. no matter what happens, there will still be limitations to the access of information because no one wants anything negative to be in the limelight, especially because that is what is happening in the country tomorrow, the government will do everything possible to limit access of information. Nigeria cannot in any way be an exception, we haven't reached the point where we can give information freely to the media, we still have skeletons in our cupboards...
08BE07344: i personally do not think that the question on ground should be wheather Nigeria can adopt the FOI bill. i think the question should be " would the Nigerian government allow the FOI bill to be adopted fully. there is no clause to freedom so that means they would have to open up everything. now do you seriously think these peole will open their skeleton filled cupboard wide so that you would be able to glean enough information to send them to jail? i really don't think they are that generous with the info of all their underground deeds, neither are they honest by the way!
I will like to start with a quote by
John Ohliger
"you should always tell the truth, but you shouldn't always be telling it"
There always have been, always will be, always should be exceptions to freedom of information... To censor obscenity, protect national security and award those who are libeled. There will therefore be no complete freedom of information any where in the world especially in nigeria. Moving to Assange's case, the Obama's administration is furious with wikileaks for publishig tens of thousands of military documents which they believed was irresponsible. Assange is later arrested for suspiscion of rape. The arrest is withdrawn less than 24 hours later when the evidence was not enough to hold him. Assange believes that the pentagon is out to get him as a result of the incidents in the past. This is an example of press freedom restriction. Believe that citizens are entitled to their rights to get access to government information but the government is permitted to have secretsm it is part ofthe behavior of every civil servant to prepare decisions ibn confidence, so as to prevent unauthorised individuals from thwarting the desired outcome in advance.
Even the FOI bill which is still being processed has exceptions. It provides access to public information kept by government, public institutions or private bodies carrying out public functions for Nigerians and Non-NIGERIANS as long as it does not compromise national security. In conclusion, there cannot be a total freedom of information in Nigeria and the FOI bill will not make it happen.
07BE05530
REJOICE EMMANUEL
O8BE07318....
YES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DOES EXIST IN THE WORLD. These rights do exist but the issue is that they have been heavily infringed upon and are fading away.
Most of the press today are now governments back pocket ramping up the process. Instead of reporting news they report views which has caused a negative backlash to said rights as in the case of Julian Assange, If the media were not all over the story on a daily basis, no one would even know the documents exist. The fact that the story is being pimped relentlessly makes it obvious that the information getting out is information that the powers-that-be do not want in the public domain.
The freedom of Information today has been taken to an extreme and gutted our values and liberty. Why I say freedom of information still exist is that we still get to receive information that is vital and important in our lives, the issue however is that this rights are gradually fading away not that they do not exist, thus making the existence of Freedom of information look like an illusion.
This rights exist but we should not forget the fact that there are some documents that need to be protected, not all information are meant for the public . The fact that government prevents the public, access to some documents does not mean that there is no freedom of information, rather the point here is that most of this strong nations like United States have infringed on those rights.
In conclusion I will like to say that even though freedom of information is gradually fading away, Nigeria is not an exception, the way things are coded over there in the western countries, is also the way things are coded over here.
At Miss Ada, it is not realistic to expect Nigeria to be the pacesetter for such a thing as freedom of information. Our corrupt system simply will not let that happen.
08BE07320
EMMABETH
there is nothing like freedom of information. although we might be made to believe that the information would be free... free... the truth is that, we are are in Nigeria and in Nigeria, you all know that every information is regarded as top secretes even those that are not to be kept as secrete. this is as a result of the fact that those in power have so many skeletons in their cupboard. one question i keep asking my self is whether,with the FOI bill, someone could just walk into a government agency in Nigeria requesting to view certain documents? certainly NO. please lets get real.
niyi hasnt accepted my request on facebook and i dont know what to do. kore
I THINK I AM GOING TO HAVE TO USE SOMENE'S ACCOUNT THAT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.. ONE OF THE PEOPLE AROUND ME.. MY NAME WILL BE INCLUDED
I wish we could only if we start working by 'faith' and not by 'sight'. there is nothing like freedom of information as i had earlier stated the system in Nigeria doesn't really favour it so it's just a facade on the path of our leaders and a dream on the path of journalists
Miss ada I support what you said about the FOI bill but I think it is not possible because of what Nigeria is facing like corruption, imperialism, imbalance and so on. I think the only person that can do that is God to choose the right person. I know Nigeria will be a better place and I will be the one to do that.
adelekeayooluwa1@gmail.com
(08BE07290) Adeleke Ayooluwa
To start with the bill has been renamed Right to information bill by the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY and this leaves us with a puzzle to solve as to the meaning of this bill. There’s difference between Right and Freedom , right is what you are entitled to while freedom is the ability to exercise this right without restriction hence there’s no right without freedom and we all know that there’s no free freedom in life, many have argued that the freedom in life is choice but I beg to disagree by saying “life is not a choice when you have something at stake”! and this indicates that if the FOI bill was all free then we won’t be having this debate because it would have been signed into law a long time ago. The change in name to me shows something and that is that people may access this information but won’t have the freedom to use it and this the reason President Jonathan said in the presidential debate with himself that there are some part of the bill which has to be taken care of before he can think of signing it.
If I may ask why are some information classified? this question is important because many think it is because of the corrupt practices of the people in government that they classify information, well this may be true but the most important reason why information is classified is because of the danger associated with the general knowledge of it, with this as the case the definition of press freedom is challenged because it read thus, the access to information classified or not classified as long as it doesn’t endanger the people. Every classified information is injurious in one way or the other and that is the reason it is classified in the first place.
clause 2 of the bill provides that, “Every citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has a legally enforceable right to, and shall, on application be given access to any information or record under the control of a government or public institution or private companies performing public functions, provided the disclosure of such information or release of such record(s) shall not compromise national security”. There’s no way national security won’t be compromised because freedom is anarchy and the Nigeria security system is not well equipped for the challenges this Bill will pose this is the reason that out of the 54 African countries only 4 have adopted it and out this four only one (South Africa) is well to do today because their security system is up to the task, the three others Uganda, Zimbabwe and Liberia are not in a stable state today reason being that after the bill was passed and access to information guaranteed the rebel forces were able to fight against the government because they know the defense database of the country and so they could challenge the system and use it to their advantage.
I am of the opinion that the bill shouldn’t be passed and that government is protecting us by classifying some information, as Emerson has rightly said that “there are somethings which a wise man should be ignorant about” and one of them is classified information because of the danger it posses to the socio-political cum economic system of the country. I agree that there are huge benefits if the bill is passed but the disadvantages weigh more on logical, moral, economic, technological and political balance than the advantages.
to think that Nigeria will be a pacesetter is an Ethiopian dream that cannot happen, press restriction has come to stay and it will till the end of time
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