Chinua Achebe writes in a New York Times op-ed that one step toward restoring the postcolonial dream of political liberty in Nigeria is to change the nation’s Official Secrets Act.
He writes: Incredible as it may seem, it is illegal in Nigeria to publish official government data and statistics — including accounts spent by or accruing to the government. This, simply, is inconsistent with the spirit and practice of democracy. There is now a freedom of information bill before the National Assembly that would end this unacceptable state of affairs. It should be passed, free from any modifications that would render it ineffectual, and assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan. This can and should be achieved before the presidential election in April.
Achebe is a professor at Brown University and the author of Things Fall Apart.
Read the entire op-ed on The New York Times >>