Ogun State Governor, Thousands Sign Petition on FOI Bill

LAGOS, Monday, September 24, 2007: Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, is among thousands of Nigerians who have signed a petition calling on the National Assembly to pass the Freedom of Information Bill into Law before the end of 2007.

The petition, launched on September 10, 2007 by the Freedom of Information Coalition, has also been endorsed by other prominent Nigerians, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential candidate in the April general elections, Professor Pat Utomi; the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); the President of Transparency in Nigeria, Major-General Ishola Williams (rtd.); former Attorney-General of Kano State, Mr. Balarabe Mahmoud (SAN); the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Baba Dantiye; and former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Jadesola Akande.

Scores of organizations, representing thousands of individuals, have also signed the petition, including the Persons With Disabilities Action Network (PEDANET NIGERIA); the Catholic Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC); the Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria; the Electoral Reform Network (ERN); the Commonwealth of Niger Delta Youths; Transparency in Nigeria (TIN); Transition Monitoring Group (TMG); the Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organizations (NNNGO); the Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC); Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE-Nigeria); and Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), Ireland Chapter.

Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and Coordinator of the Coalition, said today that Otunba Daniel called him on phone last Saturday after signing the petition to say that he was very excited by what the Coalition was doing and wanted to support it on behalf of the Ogun State Government.

Mr. Ojo said Governor Daniel told him: “this is a great thing you are doing. I am very excited by it and I want to lend my support to it.  I have just signed the petition and it will be delivered to you on Tuesday (September 25) along with signatures of other Ogun State indigenes from all the 20 Local Governments of the State.”

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

In the petition, the Coalition is expressing concern over the inordinate delay in passing the Bill into law, arguing that 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”.   It is therefore calling on the National Assembly to ensure that the Bill becomes Law before the end of the year.

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 Coalition has asked those interested in signing the petition to endorse it by sending SMS text messages to:  0807 312 2900 or by sending emails to: foi@mediarightsagenda.org.

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