The Right to Access Information Commission RA IC has on Tuesday 3rd August, 2022, launched its 2020 Annual Report. At a press briefing held at the conference hall of the Ministry of Finance in Freetown, the Commission launched its second Annual Report since its establishment in October, 2014.
Giving an overview of the Annual Report, Chairman and Information Commissioner (CIC) of RAIC, Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw said the Annual Report is a statutory obligation enshrined in section 41of the RAI Act of 2013 which mandates the Commission to produce an Annual report on its activities, financial status and compliance rate of all public Authorities on Proactive Disclosure of Information (PDI) and the Annual Compliance Report (ACR). The Chairman and Information Commissioner noted that the report is compartmentalised into four parts: Institutional and infrastructural Developments, Projects and Programmes, Compliance and Enforcement, National and International Partnership followed by Financial Statement, challenges and priorities of the Commission covering the year under review.
He highlighted that during the year under review, the RAIC with support from World Bank and OSIWA strengthened the institution through internal controls through capacity building for staff, Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Public Information Officers, and professional interest groups such as the Sierra Leone Association of Journalist (SLAJ) and the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU), including a training for investigative journalists in October 2020. He further recounted that there was a spike in the Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, especially from journalists, which he said can be attributed to the above activities the Commission undertook in 2020.
Despite the successes, including the RAI regulations that were laid in parliament on Thursday last week and due to mature after 21 days, the challenges of limited resource to effectively administer its mandate at national level had its toll on the potency of the Commission. The harmonization of some laws, especially civil service secrecy code which civil servants subscribe to, in tandem with the RAI Act posed a tough challenge for the Commission. The Chairman assured all that the doors of the commission are always open to the public.
Chairman of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) Dr. Victor Massaquoi said his institution and the RAIC have two things in common; information. At a time when the country approaches elections, the significance of the partnership of the two institutions cannot be overemphasised, which is why the IMC is working to develop elections guidelines and training for journalists to ensure they are treated fairly and the public is not exploited on the other hand.
Representing the Ministry of Information and Communications, Records Officer Alhaji Mohamed Jaward thanked the RAIC for opening the space for a transparent and accountable country, which is why they have assigned PIOs and Records officers to MDAs to enhance openness and good governance. He pledged the ministry’s continued support to RAIC.
Western Area Commissioner, RAIC paid tribute to SLAJ and Civil Society Organisations for their work in the past years that led to the establishment of the RAIC noting that the beneficiaries of the RAI law is not only for Journalists rather for all and sundry.
Secretary General of SLAJ, Alhaji Manika Kamara said they as journalists are key beneficiaries of the RAI Act; he welcomed the news that the regulations are now finally in parliament. SLAJ, he concluded, will ensure they support RAIC in all its endeavours.
The interactive briefing ended as questions and comments from the press and other participants who thanked the RAIC for being consistent in the presentation of Annual Reports.
The 2020 Annual Report is the second report produced by the RAIC under the leadership of Dr. Ibrahim Seaga Shaw.
For media inquiries, contact: David Patrick Kamara - Public Information Officer
RAIC National Secretariat: +232 78407847 / Email:
