The Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) in collaboration with its partners held a one-day workshop to validate the comprehensive Right to Information (RTI) Evaluation Methodology to evaluate the implementation of the access to information law in Sierra Leone – Right to Access Information Act 2013.
In his opening remark, Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, the chairman and information commissioner of RAIC, explained the background and essence of the project and validation exercise, emphasizing the importance of the undertaking to national development.
“We are here to collectively validate a project document that seeks to assess or evaluate the implementation of RTI law in Sierra Leone to know whether the law is really being enforced in the country. The project is funded by the Center for Law and Democracy (CLD) based in Canada. The CLD, in February of this year, provided training for the team in Sierra Leone on an RTI evaluation methodology. Since then, serious work and efforts have been put into the project, leading to the draft report which we are here to validate,” Dr Shaw explained.
He thanked the project team for what he called “a job well done”, emphasizing that the validation exercise is to go through the draft report, identify possible gaps before finalizing the report for submission to the Center for Law and Democracy and its subsequent publication.
The RAIC chief informed the validation team that the project has a national phase that includes public authorities and civil society organizations in both the capital and the regions. He encouraged participants to be attentive and give their inputs to make the final document a comprehensive and detailed one.
“This validation is to assess the document that captures findings and recommendations on RTI implementation in Sierra Leone,” he summarized.
Dr Seaga Shaw reminded attendees of the mandate of the RAIC which he said is to facilitate access to information using a two-prong approach: engaging and capacitating public authorities on access to information on the one hand and punishing institutions for non-compliance on the other hand.
In her keynote address, Madam Josephine Kamara, the Director General of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, said access to information is fundamental to service delivery and our very existence.
She commended the RAIC for subjecting itself to thorough scrutiny and evaluation as part of the RTI project.
Madam Kamara assured the RAIC of her institution’s continued commitment to providing the RAIC the platform for public awareness, dialogue and civic engagement on access to information.
Hon. Mustapha Braima and Mr. Ahmed Kallon, the Executive Secretary and Eastern Region Commissioner of RAIC respectively, explained the role of civil society in the RTI methodology and the access to information process in general, emphasizing that access to information should be everybody’s business as it enhances transparency, accountability and good governance.
Mr. Charles Keif-Kobai, project coordinator and chief executive officer of FORWARD Sierra Leone – a vibrant civil society organization, praised the leadership of RAIC for giving him what he called the “free hand” to operate professionally throughout the exercise.
Mr. Augustine James, representative from the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), said non-state actors are pivotal in advancing access to information through advocacy, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and partnership.
Dr Morlai Bangura, the Director at the Office of the Bank Governor, said the banking sector has the responsibility to be transparent and accountable. He however emphasized the need to draw the line between access to information and data protection. He said the banking sector promotes right of citizens through innovation and digitalization by reaching the most marginalized of society.
The validation exercise was climaxed by a PowerPoint presentation of the draft RTI Evaluation Report by the project coordinator and a carefully thorough scrutiny of the report by representatives from government institutions, civil society organizations and the media. Comments, suggestions and recommendations were made to be captured in the final report.
For media enquiries, contact:
Amara Thoronka
Public Information and Communications Officer
RAIC – National Secretariat
+232 88 283632 / +232 78 231949
