MICAT Official Pledges Govt’s Commitment To Uphold Freedom of Information Law

Deputy Information Minister Andrew Tehmeh has assured Government’s commitment to support and foster the Freedom of Information (FOI) law in Liberia. He noted that the fact that Liberia is one of few African countries to accede to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a testimony of the current government’s commitment to transparency and good governance.

Deputy Minister Tehmeh, who is the government’s Focal Person on the FOI Law, gave the assurance Thursday at the launch of the Guidelines and Procedures for handling and determining of FOI appeals, held at the Independent Information Commission’s headquarters in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor.

The Deputy Information Minister asserted that the Government is doing all it can to ensure that the IIC’s work is made easier, and expressed gratitude that USAID is demonstrating interest in supporting the implementation of the FOI in the country.

He challenged the IIC to do all it can to ensure full compliance with the guidelines and procedures, and to think about other measures that will compel people to abide by the FOI Law, adding, ”You have all the support”.

Speaking on behalf of civil society, the Executive Director of the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding, Malcolm Joseph, commended the Ministry of Information for providing leadership in fostering the FOI Law in Liberia.

“We are glad to have a FOI Commission; we are glad that we can boast of having the fourth best Freedom of Information law in the world and to be the first country to pass the FOI law in West Africa,” Joseph said.

He then urged the government to institute policies that will ensure the effective functioning of the FOI law, noting, “The FOI law will be of no use if its implementation is stalled”.