The Minister of Information and Communication says the ‘Official Secrecy Act’ which is part of the country’s law books needs to be repealed in a bid to enact the Freedom to Information Bill in Sierra Leone.

Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo told CTN that if the country wanted to be part of the modern world and to promote good governance, there should be the political will in putting structures in place to enhance access to information. Alhaji Ben Kargbo pointed out that the Cater Center Declaration of 2008 had been adopted by government of Sierra Leone as part of its existing policies. He said the declaration calls on governments to present a timetable for the enactment of an access to information bill. Alhaji Ben Kargbo said the World Bank was ready to support the move towards realizing access to information and to build the necessary structures. The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists and other members of the public had been advocating the enactment of the Access to Information Bill. They said access to information was vital for democracy and good governance.