The new leadership of the Independent Information Commission of Liberia has disclosed that for the past six years, under the regime of the CDC, the Independent Information Commission (IIC) only received the sum of US$48,424 from 2018 to 2023.
This was revealed during the International Day of Universal Access to Information Celebration in Monrovia.
The latest report suggests that, for the past six years (2018-2023), the IIC has been constrained by low budgetary allocations in the national budget. “The total of all IIC allotments for goods and services amounted to a little over US$90,000, but out of that discouraging allocation, the commission only received US$48,424.00, aggregating budget out-turns from 2018 to 2023,” said Joash T. Hodges, Independent Information Commissioner of Liberia, during the celebration.
According to him, this low budgetary support over the years has strangulated and seriously paralyzed the Commission’s daily operations and planned programs, including creating nationwide awareness of public rights to information, continued training of personnel (PIOs) of ministries and agencies on their statutory obligations, and the inability of the Commission to decentralize to the rest of the 15 counties.
In a disappointing mood, the IIC reported that it could not meet its international obligation of attending the International Conference for Information Commissioners (ICIC). Due to consistent absences, Liberia has lost its position as Vice Chair of the West Africa Governing Council. This has also brought public ridicule to the institution, as it was shamefully evicted from its 10th Street offices because of its inability to settle rental obligations.
Due to a lack of proper operational facilities, the Commission now resides on the debilitated ground floor of the right wing of the Old Maternity Center Building on the Capitol Bypass, with absolutely no working tools to function. The furniture there is obsolete, and the floors of the offices are mostly broken, making the offices resemble an abandoned place. The IIC, through its leadership, added that the last time the government purchased any furniture or working equipment, such as laptops, printers, or desktops for the Commission, was in 2016, a frustrating situation that the entity regrets. “That is the state of the Commission we took over in June 2024!”
However, upon taking office, the new leadership signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) to benefit from the USAID Media Activity Project being implemented by Internews, to begin rejuvenating and rebranding the Commission. This MOU will facilitate the development of the IIC website and functioning social media platforms, the development of a new five-year strategic plan, and the reactivation of the IIC Freedom of Information Hubs in Bong, Grand Bassa, and Bomi counties.
Commissioner Joash T. Hodges stated that these activities are currently being implemented, expressing gratitude to partners, particularly Internews and CEMESP, for their support.
In a related development, the Commission has indicated that after a protracted period of governmental neglect, the IIC has seen its appropriation for goods and services in the national budget under the current administration raised from US$8,609.00 in 2023 to US$156,152.00 in 2024. However, the IIC noted that accessing such amounts has been challenging, making it nearly impossible. “I must say that
accessing this amount has been challenging, if not difficult,” the Commissioner indicated. He also mentioned that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning recently approved a total of US$31,000 from the US$156,152.00 budget to the Commission.
As the Commission works on a new five-year strategic plan, it aims to conduct administrative restructuring of the Independent Information Commission to ensure administrative and operational effectiveness and alignment with other commissions in the public bureaucracy. Additionally, it plans to review and amend the Freedom of Information Law to modify, adjust, or remove delaying and discouraging provisions in the law that undermine public usability in the pursuit of information.
The IIC notes its objective of establishing County Freedom of Information (FOI) Hubs in all 15 counties of the country. The goal of the FOI Hubs is to facilitate the decentralization of the Commission’s activities in the counties, such as creating awareness about citizens’ rights to information, promoting and monitoring compliance, receiving and channeling FOI complaints to the Commission, as well as providing feedback from the Commission.
The Commission also plans to establish the Freedom of Information Resource Center, which will serve as a national repository where the public can access basic information about the government and its functionaries. Furthermore, the IIC intends to develop an online digital information portal linked to the Commission’s website and the websites of ministries and agencies, where the public can file requests for information and receive prompt responses.
