This essay is centred on Nigeria＇s Freedom of Information Act, with special interest in its relevance in the country＇s anti-corruption war. The paper reiterates that the law was passed to enable the public to access...This essay is centred on Nigeria＇s Freedom of Information Act, with special interest in its relevance in the country＇s anti-corruption war. The paper reiterates that the law was passed to enable the public to access certain government information, in order to ensure transparency and accountability. The FOI Act aims to make public records and information more freely available and to protect public records and information, in accordance with the public interest and protection of personal privacy. It enables citizens to hold the government accountable in the event of the misappropriation of public funds or failure to deliver public services. It also seeks to protect serving public officers against any adverse consequences from the unauthorized disclosure of certain kinds of official information, and to establish procedures for the achievement of these purposes. The Act further regulates conflicts between its provisions and those of other legislations. The paper contends that Freedom of Information is a fundamental indicator of economic development and progress, civic engagement and a properly functional democracy in every economy, describing it as a promising start in ensuring good governance and rule of law in Nigeria. The paper stresses the need for vigorous implementation of the FOI Act if the country is to make any significant breakthrough in the enthronement of good governance, transparency and accountability, adding that a strengthened FOI regime will enhance citizens＇ demand for accountability and check corruption in Nigeria.展开更多
With the rapid development of network technology, the human production mode, life style, and thinking mode have had the great change, meanwhile human values and morality are new changes. Network technology has created...With the rapid development of network technology, the human production mode, life style, and thinking mode have had the great change, meanwhile human values and morality are new changes. Network technology has created a brand of new social form and social network, which is an extension of the real social life. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of a freedom of information analyzed by the principle of free network information. In this paper, theoretical and empirical combination is based on using multidisciplinary theory study from the perspective of moral cognition of this analysis. The problems of the network ethics which try to find out the method to solve the problem, standardize and strengthen the construction of the new good network ethics, purify network environment, and improve people＇s spiritual world and moral accomplishment, have important theoretical and empirical significance.展开更多
Evaluating government openness is important in monitoring government performance and promoting government transparency. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an evaluation system for information openness of local gove...Evaluating government openness is important in monitoring government performance and promoting government transparency. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an evaluation system for information openness of local governments. In order to select evaluation indicators, we conducted a content analysis on current evaluation systems constructed by researchers and local governments and the materials of a case study on a local government. This evaluation system is composed of 5 first-tier indicators, 30 secondtier indicators and 69 third-tier indicators. Then Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) Method are adopted to determine the weight of each indicator. At last, the practicability of the system is tested by an evaluation of the local government of Tianjin Binhai New Area, which has been undergoing administrative reform and attempting to reinvent itself in the past 5 years.展开更多
This paper investigates the role of public access to information in open governance in Kenya;identifies the factors affecting access to public information in Kenya;establishes the extent to which access to public info...This paper investigates the role of public access to information in open governance in Kenya;identifies the factors affecting access to public information in Kenya;establishes the extent to which access to public information has influenced open governance in Kenya;and recommends strategies to enhance open governance through access of public information in Kenya.The paper is based on a qualitative study designed as an exploratory survey.Qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews with staff of the Commission on Administrative Justice(Office of the Ombudsman),which is tasked with implementing the Act,and documentary analysis.Content analysis of reports generated by implementing or oversight agencies was also conducted.The findings of the study show that the implementation of the Access to Information Act(2016)has had major contributions to the attainment of Kenya's commitments to open governance.Access to information underlies initiatives relating to open data sharing,beneficial ownership and access to justice.However,the implementation of the Act in Kenya faces challenges such as lack of funding,corruption,low levels of citizen awareness,and a culture of secrecy.The study recommends that the government should set up monitoring mechanisms to evaluate milestones of open governance initiatives such as the Act so as to be able to better evaluate the contributions of each commitment internally rather than relying on external evaluators.展开更多
文摘This essay is centred on Nigeria＇s Freedom of Information Act, with special interest in its relevance in the country＇s anti-corruption war. The paper reiterates that the law was passed to enable the public to access certain government information, in order to ensure transparency and accountability. The FOI Act aims to make public records and information more freely available and to protect public records and information, in accordance with the public interest and protection of personal privacy. It enables citizens to hold the government accountable in the event of the misappropriation of public funds or failure to deliver public services. It also seeks to protect serving public officers against any adverse consequences from the unauthorized disclosure of certain kinds of official information, and to establish procedures for the achievement of these purposes. The Act further regulates conflicts between its provisions and those of other legislations. The paper contends that Freedom of Information is a fundamental indicator of economic development and progress, civic engagement and a properly functional democracy in every economy, describing it as a promising start in ensuring good governance and rule of law in Nigeria. The paper stresses the need for vigorous implementation of the FOI Act if the country is to make any significant breakthrough in the enthronement of good governance, transparency and accountability, adding that a strengthened FOI regime will enhance citizens＇ demand for accountability and check corruption in Nigeria.
文摘With the rapid development of network technology, the human production mode, life style, and thinking mode have had the great change, meanwhile human values and morality are new changes. Network technology has created a brand of new social form and social network, which is an extension of the real social life. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of a freedom of information analyzed by the principle of free network information. In this paper, theoretical and empirical combination is based on using multidisciplinary theory study from the perspective of moral cognition of this analysis. The problems of the network ethics which try to find out the method to solve the problem, standardize and strengthen the construction of the new good network ethics, purify network environment, and improve people＇s spiritual world and moral accomplishment, have important theoretical and empirical significance.
基金jointly supported by the Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences of the Chinese Ministry of Education(Grant No.10YJA870021)Center for Asia Research of Nankai University(Grant No.AS0917)
文摘Evaluating government openness is important in monitoring government performance and promoting government transparency. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an evaluation system for information openness of local governments. In order to select evaluation indicators, we conducted a content analysis on current evaluation systems constructed by researchers and local governments and the materials of a case study on a local government. This evaluation system is composed of 5 first-tier indicators, 30 secondtier indicators and 69 third-tier indicators. Then Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) Method are adopted to determine the weight of each indicator. At last, the practicability of the system is tested by an evaluation of the local government of Tianjin Binhai New Area, which has been undergoing administrative reform and attempting to reinvent itself in the past 5 years.
文摘This paper investigates the role of public access to information in open governance in Kenya;identifies the factors affecting access to public information in Kenya;establishes the extent to which access to public information has influenced open governance in Kenya;and recommends strategies to enhance open governance through access of public information in Kenya.The paper is based on a qualitative study designed as an exploratory survey.Qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews with staff of the Commission on Administrative Justice(Office of the Ombudsman),which is tasked with implementing the Act,and documentary analysis.Content analysis of reports generated by implementing or oversight agencies was also conducted.The findings of the study show that the implementation of the Access to Information Act(2016)has had major contributions to the attainment of Kenya's commitments to open governance.Access to information underlies initiatives relating to open data sharing,beneficial ownership and access to justice.However,the implementation of the Act in Kenya faces challenges such as lack of funding,corruption,low levels of citizen awareness,and a culture of secrecy.The study recommends that the government should set up monitoring mechanisms to evaluate milestones of open governance initiatives such as the Act so as to be able to better evaluate the contributions of each commitment internally rather than relying on external evaluators.
