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National Assembly to
Pass the Freedom of Information Bill Soon
The hope of Nigeria joining the league of
countries in the world with Freedom of Information law heightens with
the National Assembly adopting various legislative options to ensure the
quick passage of the Bill.
The House of Representatives on November 14,
2007 held a second reading for the Freedom of Information Bill and
committed the Bill to the Committee of the Whole House where it would go
through a clause by clause consideration. The House adopted this
legislative option when it adopted Order 15 Rule 8 of its Standing Rules
and Procedures which states that:
“Bills passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the Senate
for concurrence for which no concurrence were made or negatived, or
passed by the Senate and forwarded to the House for which no concurrence
were made or negatived or which were passed by the National Assembly and
forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or
withholding thereof was not communicated before the end of the tenure of
the Assembly, the House may resolve that such Bills upon be re-gazetted
or clean copy circulated be re-considered in Committee of the Whole
without being commenced de-novo.”
As is customary during plenary, the FOI bill
was introduced for a second reading by the Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole.
Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum representing Nnewi North-South/Ekwusigo in Anambra
State and the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petition
informed the House that there was no need for members to dissipate
energy on the Freedom of Information Bill since the House had already
passed it during the last legislative session.
He, therefore, raised a motion based on Order
15 Rule 8 of the House Standing Rules on “Bills Outstanding from
the Preceding Assembly” in which he prayed
for the House to commit the Bill to the Committee of the Whole House
(Third Reading), where it would be considered clause by clause and
passed into law without the House going through the hassle of debating
on it during the second and third readings. This motion was accepted by
the House and consideration of the Bill in the Committee of the Whole
House is scheduled to commence when the House ends its deliberations on
the 2008 budget.
The Freedom of Information Bill which commenced de-novo with this 6th
National Assembly is sponsored In the House by Hon. Abike Dabiri, and
went through a first reading on July 4, 2007. The Senate also held a
first reading for the Bill on October 25, 2007.
Senate President, David Mark, on his part
reiterated the readiness of the National Assembly to pass the Bill
saying that the law was necessary in order to dismantle all bottlenecks
inhibiting the practice of journalism in the country.
Senator Mark made the pledge while hosting
visiting African journalists at his residence in Abuja.
He however, said there was the need for the
FOIB to provide safeguards for victims of the media who suffer
psychological/character assassination on account of libel or unwarranted
media attack. He said mere civil offence may not be enough punishment
for libel or character assassination, thereby suggesting that libel
should be criminalized to serve as deterrence. |
