By Tabora Bojang
The Access to Information Commission said it is reviewing complaints against six institutions which allegedly failed to provide information requested from them as provided for by the Access to Information Law.
The National Assembly passed the ATI Bill in July 2021, which was assented to by President Barrow, making it the first time The Gambia legally recognised access to information as a right.
Updating the media about its watchdog mandate among other things yesterday, Chairperson Neneh MacDouall-Gaye said the commission is reviewing a request from the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice which lodged a complaint that it had requested certain information from a number of public institutions and none of which complied.
She said the complaint was lodged against Gambia Ports Authority, Gambia Tourism Board and four other institutions.
“We are looking into these cases and reviewing them to see how we can come up with a possible resolution. We have written to the institutions concerned and hopefully we will hear from them and visit them to see how best we can get this matter resolved so that relevant information that is requested can be given out,” she added.
She reiterated the commission’s readiness to act in ways that best promote the objectives of the ATI Act. According to her, the commission had written to all government and public institutions reminding them of the need to submit implementation plans to the commission about how they wish to proactively disclose public information.
She however, noted that people have to understand that Gambian officialdom has to a great extent operated in a culture of silence since the colonial era.
“It’s not like it’s going to be easy but we are all going to work together to make this a success,” she stated.
