FOI Act Versus Official Secrets Act: An Appraisal of Conflicting Statutory Obligations on Public Officers
Abstract
This paper appraises the conflicting statutory obligations imposed on public officers by Nigeria's Freedom of Information Act 2011 and Official Secrets Act 1962. While the FOI Act, anchored on Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution, guarantees citizens' right to access public information and promotes investigative journalism, the Official Secrets Act criminalizes unauthorized disclosure and sustains colonial-era secrecy. This contradiction creates legal uncertainty where officers risk prosecution for disclosure under one law and sanction for denial under the other. Using conceptual and comparative analysis of the UK, US, India, Ghana and South Africa, the study finds the conflict is sustained by the lack of an express overriding clause, vague definition of classified matter, and absence of a public interest and harm test. It recommends harmonization through amendment of both Acts, insertion of an overriding clause like India's RTI Act, and enactment of whistleblower protection.
Keywords
FOI ActOfficial Secrets ActInvestigative JournalismRight to KnowPublic Officers
References
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