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Freedom Of Information Goes Through
First Reading In The Senate
Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber, the
Senate, has undertaken the First Reading of the Freedom of Information (FOI)
Bill. The First Reading of the FOI Bill took place during the Senate’s
plenary session on November 23, 2004. This followed the Third and final
reading of the Bill and its approval and passage by the House of
Representatives, the nation’s lower legislative chamber.
Senate Majority Leader, Senator Dalhatu
Tafida, presented the FOI Bill, which was listed as number one in the
order paper for the day, at the Senate’s Session on November 23, 2004.
At exactly 12.30 p.m. Senate President,
Chief Adulphus Wabara called on the Senate Leader to present the matters
listed for consideration for the day. Senator Tafida subsequently informed
the assembly that first on the list was the Freedom of Information Bill.
He described it as “a bill passed by the House of Representatives and
forwarded to the Senate for possible concurrence”. He then sought the
consent of the Senate to have the Clerk of the Senate present the bill.
The Senate President subsequently called on the Clerk to present the bill.
The Clerk rose and read out the title of the
bill. Following the Clerk’s reading of the title of the bill, the Senate
President proclaimed: “Distinguished Senators, this bill is hereby adopted
as passed for First Reading”. The entire event took less than three
minutes to conclude and the body proceeded to consider other matters
listed for consideration.
With the successful completion of the
First Reading, the Bill is now due for the Second Reading.
The House of Representatives approved the
Bill for passage on August 25, 2004 following its Third and final Reading
on that date. The House approved the Bill for passage with minor
amendments thus bringing to an end the campaign to get the House to pass
it. The advocacy efforts at the House lasted five years.
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