The Kaduna State government has disclosed that it will enact its version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to ensure probity, accountability and to enable citizens ask questions about the affairs of their government. Governor Nasir El-Rufai, represented by his deputy, Barnabas Bala Bantex said at a townhall meeting in Kafanchan that a bill to enact the State version the FOI Act was already before the state House of Assembly.
The governor stated that enacting the State version of the “FOI Act will not only bring about transparency in running government affairs, but enable the indigenes to ask any question concerning the affairs of the government.”
He also disclosed that the State government was adopting the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to ensure transparency as well as to facilitate the auditing of government account.
Ekiti State is the only State in Nigeria to have enacted a State version of the FOI Act and if Kaduna follows suit, will be the second State to do so. The Ekiti State version of the FOI Act was sent to the State House of Assembly as an executive bill and assented into law on July 4, 2011 by Governor Kayode Fayemi.
