𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬’ 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Speaking on the purpose of their visit, Ms Lydia Franstacia John, the President of the students’ body, said there has been a change in student leadership at their department, adding that the visit was a way to familiarize themselves with the RAIC as a key partner in the nature of their course of study.

Ms John craved on the RAIC to assist her department with internship opportunities, recruitment of records professionals from her department, train information and knowledge management students on the mandate of the RAIC, support with learning materials on records/data, and for the the RAIC to deliver lecture organized by the student body, among other things.

Welcoming the students’ executive and responding to their requests, Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, the Chairman and Information Commissioner of the Right to Access Information Commission, guided the students on the law, mandate and operations of the Commission in consonance with their subject area – records management.

“We are operating from a regulating angle on records as Section 27 of our Act provides for public authorities to have records officers; and at the end of every year, we monitor compliance to the said legal obligation.

However, in terms of the recruitment of records officers, that is the responsibility of the Human Resources Management Office for now. But with the Records Management Bill now going to Parliament, the responsibility to recruit records officers would be transferred to the Ministry of Information and Civic Education. In other words, we don’t get involved in the recruitment; we just provide support and advice. We however enforce compliance, and provide capacity building for records officers and information officers from time to time as they are the frontline officers in providing the enabling environment for access to information. If you don’t have records of information, it is difficult for you to provide access,” he explained.

Dr Seaga Shaw assured the students’ body of continuously including them in the activities of the Commission, especially in areas of records management, but expressed current financial challenges to add interns to their current workforce of the Commission.

“On your internship request, the challenge we have presently is that of funding as we are seriously challenged financially. We don’t want a situation of having interns working with us that cannot duly get their stipends or allowances. However, when the financial strength is there, we would be very happy to have interns as internship is a great learning curve for students in acquiring practical skills and abilities,” Dr Shaw noted.

The RAIC boss however advised and encouraged the students to explore their internship quest in other institutions, especially bigger public institutions with much larger funding and opportunities.

Expressing profound passion to get students engaged in hands-on internship programs, Dr Sega Shaw assured the students that his office can provide recommendation letters in case the students need them in securing such opportunities elsewhere.

“We want more people like you to go into those jobs as you are records professionals that can perform at the highest level in records management.”

He also assured the students’ body that the RAIC welcomes their public lectures intentions, noting that the Commission would participate in them anytime they are organized.

Dr Shaw further encouraged the students to use the access to information law to acquire relevant information from public authorities for research and other purposes. “If you request for information, not exempted by our Act, and a public authority refuses to grant you such information, you can come to us. That is why we are here to facilitate access to information,” he stated.

The head of the country’s information regulatory agency referred the students to the official website [www.raic.gov.sl] of the Commission to gain free access to materials and articles that would enable them know everything about the Commission and its programs, activities and enforcement undertakings.

The students were provided with a records management training manual developed by the RAIC with funding from UNESCO. Dr Shaw informed the students that the RAIC has been given the continental mandate to develop a records management training manual for the whole of Africa, adding that work has begun as the consultants [one local, one international] have been hired by UNESCO and that work is in progress to have a records management model for Africa.

In her statement, Mrs Fanta Morgan, the Manager of Records and Open Data of RAIC, reiterated the commitment of the Commission in supporting the students’ body in areas the Commission is able to render support, while emphasizing the interdependent relationship between records management and access to information.

Kumba Kamanor, the Organizing Secretary of the students’ body,

thanked Dr. Seaga Shaw and the Right to Access Information Commission for what she called a “great learning opportunity” and the continued inclusive efforts of the Commission.

The RAIC’s Records and Open Data Manager took the students on a tour of the records and archival facilities of the Commission.

For media enquiries, contact:

Amara Thoronka

Public Information and Communications Officer

RAIC – National Secretariat

+232 88 283632 / +232 78 231949

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