Some Civil Society Organizations operating in Niger state have graded the state’s response to the Freedom of Information Act as very poor.
The Organizations frowned at the non compliance and negligent attitude of officials in Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state towards the Freedom of Information Act despite it being passed into law.
The organizations showed their displeasure during the Engagement of CSOs on the Open Government Partnership by Open Alliance Nigeria in Minna.
Some of the Civil Society groups complained over their inability to get information from MDAs in Niger state even after a Freedom of Information request is written to the MDAs.
“All the Freedom of Information Act we have written has not been replied, most time we go there, we will be told that it cannot be seen and there is need to write another one and it goes on and on. It has affected gathering of Information from government to be very difficult.
“Even creating a forum for legislators to be accountable to their constituents has been rebuffed as they shunned such forum.
“We really need a platform to engage the government and hold them accountable to their promises and budget implementation”, the Assistant State Coordinator, Open Alliance Nigeria(OAN), Niger State chapter, Deborah Adegoke said.
The National Coordinator, OAN, Abayomi Akinbo noted that it took 12 years for Nigeria to pass the Freedom of Information Act pointing that a lot of states are not still complying with the Act despite the domestication of Freedom of Information Acts by states.
He said that the reason for the Open Government Partnership is to make government transparent, participatory and accountable in its services to the citizens adding that the CSO engagement in Niger state was to enable them draft a state Action plan which would guide the co-creation process of the Open Government Partnership.
The Civil Society Organizations developed a draft of the Niger state Action Plan exploring four thematic areas which include fiscal transparency, access to information, public disclosure of assets and citizen engagement.
