Freedom of Information Coalition Launches Signature Campaign

LAGOS, Tuesday, September 11, 2007:  The Freedom of Information Coalition (FOIC) has launched a signature campaign in support of a petition asking the National Assembly to pass the Freedom of Information Bill into law before the end of 2007.

The Coalition is aiming to secure at least one million signatures in support of the petition from Nigerians across the country and in the Diaspora.  The petition will be presented to the National Assembly on September 28, 2007, this year’s “International Right to Know Day”. 

In the petition, for which it is seeking public support, the coalition expressed concern over the inordinate delay in passing the Bill into law, saying the failure to enact the law “undermines democratic and accountable governance by denying us our fundamental right to know and participate fully in the government of our country”.

The coalition also insisted that: “The right of citizens to access public information underpins a democratic system of government and is a core requirement for good governance. Indeed, it is a human right.”

Barely 24 hours after the campaign was launched, several hundreds of Nigerians scattered across the globe have enthusiastically signed up for the petition and the number of signatories have continue to grow by the minute.

The Freedom of Information Bill, when it becomes law, will give every Nigerian citizen a right of access to information held by government agencies and departments, subject to the exemptions specified in the Bill. It has been pending in the National Assembly since 1999.

The campaign is being coordinated by the Secretariat of the Coalition, which is hosted by Media rights Agenda (MRA) in Lagos, with a liaison office in Abuja.  The petition and sign up forms are available on the coalition’s website, http://www.foicoalition.org.  Signed forms can be returned to the Coalition’s Secretariat by courier or hand deliveries, or by scanning and emailing them to: foi@mediarightsagenda.org, or faxing to (+234) (0)1 493 0831 or (+234) (0)9 413 3772. 

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Ayode Longe

Media Rights Agenda

10 Agboola Aina Street, off Amore Street

Ikeja, Lagos

Tel: (+234) (0)1 493 6033 & 493 6034

Cell: (+234) (0)802 329 8628

E-mail: ayode@mediarightsagenda.org

Or

Ms Ene Enonche

32 Amazon Street

Maitama, Abuja.

Tel: (+234) (0)9 413 3771

Cell: (+234) (0)803 451 6807

E-mail: ene@mediarightsagenda.org