Journalists should educate themselves and do more investigative journalism, says Commissioner for Access to Information.
Nicodemus Ajak Biar advises journalists to investigate without fear about illegal mining because the country is losing a lot every year.
The commissioner vows to support journalists with the necessary information according to the law to inform citizens about the situation.
‘So I just want to encourage you. I know investigative journalism even in developed countries is not an easy thing. It’s very difficult. It needs courage and it needs a lot of things it’s not only on oil. Somebody’s got to find out what is going on in Kapoeta with our mining. And when I was at the ministry of petroleum and mining when it used to be petroleum and mining we were losing at that time I don’t know how much. Now over 200 to 600 million a year illegal mining. And from what we’re hearing you have to prove that through your investigative is that some officials are also involved is it not something that you can look after and find out. I know sometimes you look at your back and say is this worth it. But it is true if you are in the industry sometimes it is worth it. So I think I want you to take that challenge. So I don’t know whether we help the country at the end of the day we are doing all this to the public.’
Ajak calls on the Ministry of Transport to also update the public about the delays in opening the new terminal at the airport.
He asks journalists to go and investigate and they will help them to write official letter to ease their process of the reporting and the law.
‘I want you to continue doing this. We as a commission will give you the necessary support. I know we are also crawling the commission. We are still not there because even been trying to put our feet down. But that does not mean that we cannot walk. That’s why I told you even if we have no proper mechanisms for receiving information please come to us. I will write to your letter just saying that this person is doing this for the public interest and it is something worth investigating and you can go the rest of you will take care of yourself said the field is also at your training. I don’t have to tell you how to do that. And I think at the end of the day our government officials will know that what we are doing is not to expose people for the sake of it we are doing this because we want to empower our citizens and that’s the core function of every government.’
Accountability and transparency is the role of the commission through the information, he adds.
Ajak says that they are setting their strategic plans and the commission will asks AMDISS to be part of their meeting so that to launch it together.
The Commissioner for Access for Information Commission spoke on Thursday.