WE MUST LEVERAGE ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT - Otemuyiwa

The NYSC Osun State Freedom of Information Act Desk Officer, Mrs. Catherine Otemuyiwa has charged Corps members to leverage on the Freedom of Information Act which was passed into law by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on the 28th May, 2011, if we must ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

She stated this during a sensitization on the Freedom of Information Act 2011 (FOIA) to the 2022 Batch B Stream 1 Corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ede, on Saturday. 

She added that FOIA is an Act that makes public records available to the people and also grants grants them access to public records noting that journalists and other civil societies have leveraged on it to give the public accurate information. 

However, she enlightened the Corps members to leverage on the FOIA to fight corruption. She said it is a law that empowers every citizen to request for records concerning governance and Public funds thereby instiling the institution of transparency and accountability, rather than resorting to violence. 

Meanwhile, according to her, the Freedom of Information Act Vanguard is one of the CDS Groups in the State and found in all the local governments. The Vanguards help to step down the message on FOIA while noting that the law has 32 Acts, and about 8 exemptions. Stressing that the Act gives access to public records and also protects certain information and records from abuse having passed the test of harm and public interest.