A Civil Society Organisation, Policy Alert on Monday urged Akwa Ibom state government to open it’s doors of information to citezens as such would dispel suspicion of corruption of its officials as well as enhance it’s industrialisation drive.
The executive director of Policy Alert, Tijah Bolton-Akpan said this in Uyo during a capacity building workshop entitled, “Utilizing the FOI Act 2011 as a tool for Combating Public Sector Corruption at the Subnational Level.”
Bolton-Akpan who harped on the potency of information noted that access to information is a lubricant to success in business.
His words, “Access to publicly held information is an important plank of the ease of doing business. Current efforts by the state government to promote industrialization and foreign direct investment cannot succeed where private investors cannot routinely access government records provided either proactively or on request for the making of business decisions.
“While the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011 remains an important piece of legislation aimed at empowering citizens and state actors to promote transparency and accountability in government, many public officials who do not understand their obligations under the Act, are confused as to whether the Act applies to state government institutions, or remain lost as to how its provisions could be reconciled with secrecy clauses as found in other extant laws and regulations such as the Official Secrets Act, Section 97 of the Criminal Code and the Civil Service Rules and Regulations amongst others.
“This training has helped to put to rest some of those confusions and apprehensions, first by reiterating that the law applies to state governments, and then by arming public officials with the knowledge they need to utilize the law as an anti-corruption tool at the subnational level.
Also speaking, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Officer of Policy Alert, Utibe Archibong, announced that the training was part of the Strengthening Citizens Resistance against the Prevalence of Corruption (SCRAP-C) project, which Policy Alert is currently implementing in Akwa Ibom State, with support from Actionaid Nigeria.
