A two-day workshop on the Freedom Of information, FOI, Act and Good Governance, organized by the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, has ended in Calabar.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, stakeholders agreed that FOI Act amongst other things strengthens existing laws, promotes transparency, improve citizens’ confidence and reduces corruption in the procurement process.
The meeting therefore resolved that freedom of Information is critical to good governance and important in line with the reforms being undertaken by Rt. Honourrable Chibuike Ameachi.
That the Planning, Research and Statistics as well as the Archives Departments of the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications are key to the Implementation of an FOI regime.
It appealed to government to provide better funding for these units, make them ICT Compliant and train personnel to man the departments.
The communiqué further called for close collaboration between the Executive and Legislature, media and civil society for the actualization of the FOl Act and the need to establish a Public Enlightenment and Orientation Committee to educate the citizens.
The workshop was attended by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari , members of the Rivers State House Committee on Information, the Permanent Secretary and some Directors of the Ministry. ###
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