CSJ attends Freedom of Information Act Awards Event

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a knowledge institution which has conscientiously utilised the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to demand accountability from public institutions through legal actions has been recognized for its efforts. 

The CSJ was at the 10th anniversary and award event of the FOI Act in Nigeria organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) in partnership with Media Rights Agenda (MRA).

Recipients of the FOI special honours award were former President Goodluck Jonathan and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The FOI Act preserves the rights of Nigerian who seek access to official information to institute proceedings in a court of law to compel any public institution to comply with the provisions of the Act when such an institution has failed to comply with the provisions of the Act

The awards recognise and reward individuals, organisations and public institutions that have made significant contributions toward the advancement of the right to information in Nigeria as well as in ensuring the effective implementation of the FOI Act 2011.

According to stakeholders at the maiden FOI awards in Abuja, the implementation of the Freedom of Information, FOI, Act has remained stunted, ten years down the line by the bottleneck of ignorance.

In an opening remark, the chairman on the occasion, Justice of the African Court of Human and People’s Rights, Arusha, Tanzania, Justice Stella Anukam, said the mandate of the African Court on human and People’s Rights is to strengthen the human rights protection system in Africa and ensure respect for and compliance with the African charter on human and people’s rights as well as other international instruments.

According to her, it is indisputable that the enjoyment of human rights including the right to information will be better enhanced when people are aware about their rights and can exercise them.

For the head of Democracy, Governance and Migration Section, Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Clement Bouthillier, there is no democracy without a truly free press and freedom of information

He said the EU assessment has shown that the Nigerian press remains one of the most vibrant on the continent, adding that “the adoption of the Freedom of Information Act has generated many hopes and we continue to encourage its effective implementation.”