By Saio Marrah
The Chairman of Sierra Leone Right to Access Information Commission (RIAC) Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, while welcoming the country’s excellent performance in the 2023 Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) score by attaining 98% in Freedom of Information (FOI), said the commission had envisioned such progress.
A press release from RAIC quoted Shaw as saying “it shows that Sierra Leone has made significant progress in making the transition from a culture of secrecy to one of openness.”
Shaw also described the country’s outstanding performance above Ghana with 88% and Nigeria with 38% , as “ it gives an idea of the progress Sierra Leone has made in Access to Information (ATI) which is fundamental to transparency, accountability and good governance.”
Some of the achievements on FOI since the reconstitution of the current Commission in October 2018 include the role of the Commission in ensuring Sierra Leone was among the six countries that co-sponsored the United Nations Resolution that declared 28th September as the International Day of Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) on the 15th of October, 2019.
I Sierra Leone became the 24th Member of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) on the 24th September 2019.
After listing the many freedom of information bodies which it is a member of both within and outside the African continent, Shaw said they have all ensured the country’s compliance to Access to Information (ATI), noting that the data on adoption and implementation of the ATI law contributed to the survey over the past four years showing a clear and steady progress in the rate of compliance on Freedom of Information in Sierra Leone.
“For instance in 2019, the Commission recorded 112 FOI cases of which 50% were responded to positively. In 2020, 144 FOI cases were recorded; out of which, 132 were responded to. In 2021, 369 FOI requests were recorded of which 332 were successful,” the press release noted.
Sierra Leone through the RAIC, participated in the Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2021 on SDG 16.10.2 which relates to Public Access to Information and the Protection of Fundamental Freedoms.
The VNR is said to be a process through which countries assess and present progress made in achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals and help countries integrate human rights data, analysis, and approaches.
Sierra Leone has been consistently making progress in its score card on freedom of information. In 2019, Sierra Leone scored 71%. It jumped up to 85% in 2020 and 2021, and then made another huge leap in 2022 scoring 90%, and then a much bigger leap for 2023 scoring 98%.
The Repeal of Part 5 of the 1965 Public Order Act that criminalizes libel in 2020 has also contributed to providing the enabling environment for the steady progress Sierra Leone has made in freedom of information over the past three to four years.
Politico learnt from the Public Outreach Officer of Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit, William Freeman that the MCC scorecard covered part of 2021 and part of 2022.
He also noted that the publication for this scorecard in 2022 is for the financial year 2023.
This he said is because whosoever that is selected as the beneficiary for the grant will be funded from the budget that is set aside for the financial year 2023.
He also noted that last year’s score card was for 2022, while this year’s scorecard is for 2023.
Copyright (09/11/22)
