The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Aji, on Tuesday recommended the review of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
Aji made the call at a conference on the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 organised by the Right to Know Initiative, a Non Governmental Organisation, in Abuja.
He recommended that the seven days time limit for disclosure of information to the requesting institutions be reviewed upwards to 14 days.
According to him, the nation's civil service system is not yet fully digitalised to cope with the seven days time limit.
Aji said, "It may, therefore, be necessary to review the time limit. I recommend its review from seven days to 14 days, within which, information under the Act, may be disclosed.
"In organisations, keeping of records in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies most of which is the analogue system of record keeping, retrieval of information within the specified time limit has been practically difficult.''
He stressed the need for proper record keeping, easy accessibility of formats and eventual digitalisation of public records to ensure the publication of information on Website of various MDAs.
Aji also advocated a review of the Official Secret Act to conform with the FoI Act and ensure that classification of information did not endanger disclosure of information.
He, however, identified the lack of desire by public officers to shift from a culture of secrecy to that of transparency as a major factor militating against the implementation of the Act.
He said efforts were being made by his office and that of the Attorney-General of the Federation to encourage public bodies to go beyond Servicom and establish FoI units and help lines for public use.
He said the lack of effective sensitisation, organisation of training and capacity building programme in the MDAs constituted a major setback to the implementation of the Act.
He said, "Efforts should be made to ensure adequate provision of funds to facilitate the sensitisation and training programme on the FoI in MDAs and the Zones."
The Punch