AYV News, October 21, 2024
Dr. Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, Chairman and Commissioner of the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC), has said in 2022, the Commission handled 13,107 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, with 10,237 being successfully processed, adding that in 2023, this figure surged to 19,496 requests, with a 90% success rate.
He detailed the Commission’s ongoing efforts to promote freedom of information, noting that the Commission has made notable strides, including maintaining a well-resourced website to facilitate public access to information.
Dr. Shaw also mentioned that the Commission is collaborating with the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) and the Public Service Commission to review the Civil Service Code, specifically addressing the oath of secrecy.
He said the absence of timely and credible information can trigger misinformation. His comment has come in the wake of the delay and the lack of willingness by MDA’s to provide timely information.
In the pursuit of combating misinformation and disinformation, Dr. Shaw said public authorities should endeavour to publish information accurately and appropriately.
He said: “In 2021, 369 cases were reported with 345 success, and in 2022, out of 13,107 cases, 10,237 success came as a success.”
The RAIC Boss counted the gains as a success. He described it as a testament to the effectiveness of the introduction of the Annual Compliance Report of Public Authority in Sierra Leone and the popularization of the Right to Access Information Act of 2013.
He confirmed that the Commission had no website and no auditing mechanism prior to his appointment, a reason they decided to develop and launch a website in 2019, and also invited the Audit Service Sierra Leone to realize proper financial mechanism system.
Dr. Shaw encouraged media practitioners to be at liberty to write the RAIC to lure public authority to be transparent and be accountable as enshrined in the RAIC Act of 2013.
