FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (FOI) SEMINAR, HELD ON THE 26TH OF JANUARY, 2015, IN THE FACULTY OF LAW COMPLEX, ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UTURU
The central theme of the seminar was “Building the Capacity of Community-Based Groups for the Effective Use of Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria.” The aim of the seminar was to train the students by way of educating them on the contents and provisions of the freedom of information act. Furthermore, the seminar aimed at preparing the students for participating in street law, i.e. training other members of the community in their rights provided by the freedom of information act.
Before the passage of the FOI act on 28th May 2011, there was no clear and definite legal framework providing for the mechanism and processes guaranteeing the Nigerian citizens the public right to access the public records and information. This promoted non-transparency and clandestine system of governance at all levels of government. However with the passage of the law, it promises to remove the aura of mystery and exclusion with which public servants clothe the ordinary operations of government and public institutions and manage public records and information.
CHALLENGES
Although it was anticipated that FOI Act would improve the citizens’ participation in public governance leading to promotion of transparency, democratic values, accountability and community development. Unfortunately, years after the passage of the law, the Act is yet to make in-roads in changing the dynamics of citizen participation in public governance. The act is yet to be used at community level to audit community development projects or even hold political office holders account.
It has been observed that the low level of public awareness about the FOI Act], its provisions and how to use it is because most of the prime beneficiaries of the law are yet to get to fully appreciate the enormous benefits they can derive from it more active application of the law. Only a few requests for information and records were made by a small number and society organizations and individuals at Abuja and Lagos at urban level. Just about ten requests.
One of the prime beneficiaries of this Act is the local populace at the community level.
PROBLEM ANALYSIS
The lack of use of FOI at the community level is primarily a driven by the fact that FOI is relatively a new law and its awareness of its existence is yet created at this community level while efforts have been put I place to build institutional capacities of government agencies coordinated by the AGE no concrete efforts so far has been directed to local communities. Communities and individual end users lack the knowledge, understanding and capacity the use the law to meet the objectives anticipated with its passage. This training today is a first step of the project aimed at building the capacity of the community based groups to effectively utilize the FOI Act in accessing public records and information.
Another identifiable problem is the lack of adequate human and material resources needed to educate the local communities primarily because the FOI Act is relatively new la w and has not been developed enough pool of human resources to reach rural locations. Ensuring effective us of the law needs a process that can break down the law for easy understanding and provide education about its values, objectives and how it can be used by communities. Governments for obvious reasons have not taken any serious step to create awareness about the law. This project therefore it is hoped, through the available pool of law students in law clinic (ABSU Law Clinic) in particular situated at rural communities will provide the needed qualified human and material resources to break down the law to the level of target communities.
STRATEGY
To achieve the project specific objectives, the strategy adopted so to educate the community members through community outreaches using the street law programme of law clinic street law programme sis a component of our law clinic. Our dear Mrs Okpara C. will give us more light insight about the street law programme.
The street law approach will include training of law teachers to develop FOI street law training programmes for law students. Most ABSU law teachers are beneficiaries of this training programme before NULAI with support from MAC Arthur Foundation, Open Society Justice Initiative and the United Nations Democracy funds. This takes the format of train the trainer because the law teachers will train students that work at the law clinic on the FOI Act and this is the reason why we are here.
This street law programme goes beyond creating awareness as students are expected to develop lesson plans and appropriate methodology to educate target communities. This approach it is hope will tackle lack of awareness knowledge, understanding and capacity of community members to use the FOI Act because these students will breakdown the law using methodologies such as drama in local languages. We just observed one few minutes ago, video clips and other interactive approaches that will ensure easy understanding.
Law students as the project vehicle and resource pool for street law outreaches will benefit from the skills acquired in carrying out this project the skill will include but not limited to communities.
The central theme of the seminar was “Building the Capacity of Community-Based Groups for the Effective Use of Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria.” The aim of the seminar was to train the students by way of educating them on the contents and provisions of the freedom of information act. Furthermore, the seminar aimed at preparing the students for participating in street law, i.e. training other members of the community in their rights provided by the freedom of information act.
Before the passage of the FOI act on 28th May 2011, there was no clear and definite legal framework providing for the mechanism and processes guaranteeing the Nigerian citizens the public right to access the public records and information. This promoted non-transparency and clandestine system of governance at all levels of government. However with the passage of the law, it promises to remove the aura of mystery and exclusion with which public servants clothe the ordinary operations of government and public institutions and manage public records and information.
CHALLENGES
Although it was anticipated that FOI Act would improve the citizens’ participation in public governance leading to promotion of transparency, democratic values, accountability and community development. Unfortunately, years after the passage of the law, the Act is yet to make in-roads in changing the dynamics of citizen participation in public governance. The act is yet to be used at community level to audit community development projects or even hold political office holders account.
It has been observed that the low level of public awareness about the FOI Act], its provisions and how to use it is because most of the prime beneficiaries of the law are yet to get to fully appreciate the enormous benefits they can derive from it more active application of the law. Only a few requests for information and records were made by a small number and society organizations and individuals at Abuja and Lagos at urban level. Just about ten requests.
One of the prime beneficiaries of this Act is the local populace at the community level.
PROBLEM ANALYSIS
Another identifiable problem is the lack of adequate human and material resources needed to educate the local communities primarily because the FOI Act is relatively new la w and has not been developed enough pool of human resources to reach rural locations. Ensuring effective us of the law needs a process that can break down the law for easy understanding and provide education about its values, objectives and how it can be used by communities. Governments for obvious reasons have not taken any serious step to create awareness about the law. This project therefore it is hoped, through the available pool of law students in law clinic (ABSU Law Clinic) in particular situated at rural communities will provide the needed qualified human and material resources to break down the law to the level of target communities.
STRATEGY
To achieve the project specific objectives, the strategy adopted so to educate the community members through community outreaches using the street law programme of law clinic street law programme sis a component of our law clinic. Our dear Mrs Okpara C. will give us more light insight about the street law programme.
The street law approach will include training of law teachers to develop FOI street law training programmes for law students. Most ABSU law teachers are beneficiaries of this training programme before NULAI with support from MAC Arthur Foundation, Open Society Justice Initiative and the United Nations Democracy funds. This takes the format of train the trainer because the law teachers will train students that work at the law clinic on the FOI Act and this is the reason why we are here.
This street law programme goes beyond creating awareness as students are expected to develop lesson plans and appropriate methodology to educate target communities. This approach it is hope will tackle lack of awareness knowledge, understanding and capacity of community members to use the FOI Act because these students will breakdown the law using methodologies such as drama in local languages. We just observed one few minutes ago, video clips and other interactive approaches that will ensure easy understanding.
Law students as the project vehicle and resource pool for street law outreaches will benefit from the skills acquired in carrying out this project the skill will include but not limited to communities.
