A Workshop on Access to Information Held
Ensuring good governance, fighting corruption, upgrading the efficiency of service delivery, promoting democracy and catalyzing development are mentioned unthinkable goals if cloaked with secrecy and covertness.
As the government's move towards ensuring transparency and accountability leans on the proclamation providing for access to information, the call for understanding the law, internalizing it through discussion and bracing up for its implementation are also mentioned crucial.
These were disclosed at a daylong participatory training workshop the Institution of the Ombudsman and The Ethiopian Civil Service University (ECASU) jointly organized on 18 April 2012.The workshop held at ECSU's premise was aimed at heightening the awareness of the participants on the proclamations providing for freedom of the press and access to information.
On the workshop, which is said to be the first of its kind, it was noted that ECSU was let enjoy preferential attention by the institution on the grounds of its being a role model to other universities and organizations.
In his welcoming speech at the workshop that brought together over 70 participants including trainers, ECSU's institute directors, academic and administrative support department heads as well as workers engaged in information related activities, the Institutional Planning and Assessment Director Ato Tegeng Gebeyaw noted that freedom of expression and the press law are issues that are accorded focal attention in the constitution. He added the right for access to information, following ratification is now in full swing.
On behalf of the university's president, Ato Tegeng called up on participants to attentively attend and actively participate in the workshop cognizant of the fact that the university is singled out a role model to kick start the implementation of the proclamation. This should fuel ECSU's passion for further achievements, Ato Tegeng stressed.
In unison as an institution and as individuals participants were asked to be ready for the smooth transaction of decisive information. Trainers stressed the need to put the duty, responsibility, authority, and service delivery of every arm of ECSU in black and white for information seekers..
The trainers senior law expert Ato Yersaw Zewde and training and awareness development head Ato Urgesa Bayesa had explained about factors that necessitated the concept of access to information, what it is, and how to go about it up on lodging compliant on denial of information. They as well had shed light on compliant report presentation and document handling methods.
According to the trainers, information is a document organized in any form created at any time and held by any organization or governmental body. As the right for access to information that entails seeking, accessing, conveying and distributing information is a subset of freedom of expression, it is a basis for all rights including human rights.
The trainers noted the proclamation providing access to information ratified by Ethiopia in 2008 E.C is subject to a limited restriction pertaining to people's privacy, national security and overriding rules. But the restriction should be imposed in a way that doesn't allow a room for evading the rights the proclamation guarantees to information seekers.
They further noted it is taking into account the reality under Ethiopian context the proclamations providing for Freedom of the mass media and access to information are crafted two in one in order Journalists get armed with key informational inputs.
It was also noted that instead of responding upon request, giving information proactively, quickly, at the minimum cost possible is more viable.
They said if the denial of the sought for information entails risk to the life and physical well being of the individual, the information must be given in less than ten days. And if the suspension of the sought for information is backed by convincing evidences the responding period could be elongated to a month period of time. But if getting the information presupposes collecting data from branch organizations the data handing process could take 60 days.
Reportedly a form for recording complaint must be prepared beforehand for a ready use by the public relation officers. And information seekers must get information in the language the awareness creation materials are produced in. Whistleblowers that drag into light corrupt practices shall enjoy the protection of the law.
Answering questions, with regard to the implementation of the proclamation, which participants lauded good but questioned its transformation into action, trainers noted that the institution is doing aggressive sensitization and advertisement works adding all government organizations are recruiting communication officers as well furnishing their offices with publication facilities.
For questions posed on providing information, trainers said withholding sought for information or distorting information is punishable by law. But giving information that must not be conveyed could be condoned if done with good faith.
Any information seeker who harbors resentment must first approach the public relation officer for solution. If his problem is not solved he could report to the Institution of the Ombudsman and as a final line of resort go to court. The public relation officer should record, classify, keep and produce report on the number, types of complaint lodged to it, the management and the Institution of the Ombudsman.
Finally trainers noted, as it serves as oxygen to an organization there is a need to confer attention to the handling, classification and utilization of documents as well as the dispensation of dead files to the National Archive and Documentation Agency.