Security institutions flout FOI disclosure 3rd year in a row

No institution in the security sector has proactively disclosed public-domain procurement information for the third year in a row, according to a transparency ranking by the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC. The ranking, which lists public institutions according to their compliance to Freedom of Information rules, found all security institutions did not proactively disclose […]

No institution in the security sector has proactively disclosed public-domain procurement information for the third year in a row, according to a transparency ranking by the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC.

The ranking, which lists public institutions according to their compliance to Freedom of Information rules, found all security institutions did not proactively disclose public information.

They range from the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Immigrations, to Defence HQ, Office of the National Security Adviser, Prisons, Fire Service and Defence ministry.

In the lead up to the ranking, PPDC put out FOI requests, but 10 out of 12 security institutions did not respond at all.

“None had any form of proactive disclosure on their website, or even annual reports,” said Gift Omoeididia, programme director for Budeshi, which works with PPDC on transparency, ahead of the ranking this year.

“The rankings for the security sector organisations witnessed a decline this year as compared to last year as the Police Service Commission was the only security sector organisation to disclose their procurement information,” said PPDC chief executive Seember Nyager.

“Though this is an improvement for the commission, it is a step back in the advocacy to disclose procurement information in the security sector.”

Only 12 institutions were ranked this year, down from 14 when the rankings started in 2015.

“The decline is as a result of the Defence HQ now handling the responsibility of responding to FOI requests of some the security ministries, departments and agencies, explained Nyager.

But overall, the sector continue to deny access to procurement-related information.

PSC and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps responded but took at least 15 days. Between them, only the PSC scored a green for “full disclosure.”

Immigrations responded faster to the FOI request within seven days but scored a red for “no disclosure.”

“It responded but did not provide any information,” said Omoeididia.