ABUJA — To halt the spread of fake news, government to ensure that information is easily accessible to the public, says former president Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act awards night in Abuja on Friday, Jonathan urged the authorities to provide to make provide adequate information for the public.
Represented by Ann Iyonu, the executive director of Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, the former president said citizens will not fall victim to fake news if they are well informed.
“I want to commend the organizers of this initiative because access to information is important to the growth of our society considering the times we are in today.
“When citizens are well informed, they will not fall victims of fake news that is spreading in our society and often driven by speculations and falsehood.
“My administration enacted the FOI act on May 28, 2011, to expand the media freedom and give people reasonable access to information on the activities of government for the good of the society.
“I believe that for a society to grow and develop, people should be granted more access to official information.
“We are now in the digital age, which means the society will not function well if the people do not have adequate information on how government business is conducted,” he said.
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