…….Niger-Delta Development: Social Action Sensitizes Community Leaders, CSOs, CBOs On Using FOI Act To Facilitate Transparency.
……..As Social Action Holds One Day Workshop for communities in Akwa Ibom State.
……..Social Action Tasks Citizens, Stakeholders On Using Freedom of Information (FOI) Act To Facilitate Transparency In Public Procurement Process & Projects Implementation.
By Victor Bieni, Uyo
As part of efforts towards promoting transparency and accountability in public procurement and projects implementation using the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) organized a one day workshop for Community leaders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) as Niger-Delta based Social Justice, Accountability and good Governance and Anti-corruption group as urges citizens, stakeholders to wake up to their responsibilities.
Our reporter was one of the media observers at the one day sensitization workshop supported by the Macarthur Foundation, a program which was held on Monday, 17th September, 2023 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State with the theme: “Using Freedom of Information (FOI) to Facilitate Transparency in Procurement Process & Projects Implementation”.
Welcoming participants from several communities to the workshop, Social Action’s Program Coordinator, Botti Isaac thanked the participants for coming while stating that the Social Action will continue to partner with Community leaders, Community based organizations and Civil Society Organizations to advance probity in the public sector.
In providing insight into the project, Isaac Botti stated the importance of learning the nitty-gritty of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, which he said will help to deepen advocacy at the grassroots level in the various Communities of the Niger-Delta region and to gain adequate knowledge of using FOI to facilitate transparency in public procurement process and projects implementation.
He said: ” You were carefully selected to use the FOI to engage the duty bearers, use knowledge gained to promote accountability, transparency and good governance. The idea is to drive a progressive force and see how we can strengthen community actions to ensure that Governments, NDDC and other agencies within the Niger-Delta region function well”.
The workshop moderator, Ann Udonte used medium to ascertain the expectations of various participants as they share their previous knowledge and challenges in their communities.
Participants while sharing their expectation lamented poor infrastructural development; lack of good roads, health facilities, water supply, power supply and other basic amenities as is being experienced in their communities.
They therefore expressed their hope that the FOI training will go along to help them effectively engage the NDDC and other government agencies on issues of effective service delivery in the Niger-Delta region.
The knowledge from the workshop includes: Understanding the Public Procurement Act and FOI Act and how the provisions of these two legal frameworks facilitate access to document, Record and other information that can assist to effectively engaged governments for impacted as well as improve service delivery.
Participants expressed their deepest appreciation to the organizers that they have learnt practical ways of writing, making FOI requests from agencies of Government for the purpose of deepening accountability, transparency and good governance in the Niger-Delta region.
The participants therefore stated that they will be fully committed not to only use the knowledge gained but to also step it down to other members of their communities.