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IPC Honours Jonathan, Fayemi, Others At Maiden FOI Award Friday

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja


As part of the activities lined-up to commemorate the10th year anniversary of signing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill into Law in 2011, the International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos has concluded arrangement to honour former President Goodluck Jonathan for his patriotic and courageous act in endorsing the bill. 

This is even as the Ekiti State Governor, who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi will also be recognised as the first governor to facilitate the adoption of FOI Law at the state level, during the maiden edition of National Freedom of Information (FOI) Awards ceremony billed to take place at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja tomorrow. 

The event is organised by the IPC in collaboration with Media Rights Agenda (MRA), with the support of European Union through component 4b: Support to Media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Project.

It also coincides with this year’s International Human Rights Day and will be chaired by a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania, Justice Stella Anukam.

Other awardees include former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN); former Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Senator Ayogu Eze; former Speaker of the House of Representations, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; former member of the House of Representatives and currently Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa; former Nigerian Envoy to Austria, Ambassador Jerry Ugokwe and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) will also be recognised for their roles in facilitating the emergence of an FOI regime in Nigeria.

These were contained in a statement jointly signed the Executive Directors of IPC and MRA, Mr. Lanre Arogundade and Mr. Edetaen Ojo respectively and made available to newsmen on Thursday by the Communications Officer of IPC, Olutoyin Ayoade. 

The organisers explained that the award is intended to recognise and reward individuals, organisations and public institutions that made significant contributions towards the advancement of the right to information in Nigeria as well as the  effective implementation of the FOI Act.

Individuals and organisations with the highest number of requests for information under the FOI Act to public institutions or private entities between May 29, 2015 and October 31, 2021 as well as public institutions adjudged to be most responsive to requests for information from members of the public under the FOI Act were carefully selected for the award. 

Explaining the rationale behind the award, Mr. Arogundade said that FOI Act is a progressive law enacted to open up government to the people and ensure that government becomes more transparent. 

He considers the event as a privilege to be at the threshold of history to recognise the recipients for their valuable contributions towards bringing the government closer to Nigerians. 

Also, Mr Ojo stated that his organisation had sought to name and shame public institutions for impeding the effective implementation of the FOI Act by inducting them into a Hall of Shame. 

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