The African Union Commission on Human Rights on Friday urged the Federal Government to step up the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act by repealing all laws that violate the constitution of the country.

Mrs Pansy Tlakula, a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, gave the advice in an interview with State House Press Corps after a courtesy visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The AU official, who was in the country to as guest lecturer on Good Government at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Public lecture series, said she had brought a message to government institutions to ensure access to information.

“My message to them has been that this country has gone a long way in making freedom of information a reality for the people of Nigeria and now what has to happen is that the country has to step up the implementation of the freedom of information law.

“It is only through the availability of information that they can access government services to improve their lives.

“I also want to encourage and urge the government to look at the laws that violate the constitution of this country and laws that are against regional and international obligations that Nigeria has.”

She cited laws on criminal defamation, sedition and publication of falsehoods as some of the laws that are still in the statutes of Nigeria.

“I am urging the government to repeal these laws sooner than later.”

Tlakula said she was pleased to learn from the Speaker of the House of Representatives that a committee had been set up to look at all the laws that are inconsistent with the constitution.

She said the challenge facing the commission was how to ensure that the internet was not used to violate the rights of others or the privacy of others and how to balance all the competing interests.

In a separate interview, Prof. Deji Adekunle, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, who was part of the delegation, expressed displeasure with the implementation of the FOI Act in the country.

“Certainly implementation (of FOI Act) is not where it should be because of so many reasons including the perception of Nigerians that the Freedom of Information Act is a press law only meant for journalists.

“It is actually one of the rights that citizens would need if you need to express yourself, if you need to access other rights and other privileges in the country.

“So in terms of implementation we are not there; we are also not there because records are simply not there in some cases; in some cases records take a long time to trace because again we have had a long history of manual record keeping.” (NAN)

•Photo shows VP Osinbajo.

Update news