Ghana finally okays Right to Information Bill
Accra, Ghana (PANA) -- Ghana’s parliament Tuesday night passed the much-awaited Right to Information (RTI) Bill, paving the way to presidential assent, local media reported Wednesday.
The bill, which has been in the cooler for pretty 20 long years follows persistent clamour from particularly the Ghanaian media, civil society and non-governmental organizations.
In spite of express desire of both the media and political activists since 1999 to get the bill passed, it did not receive the nod until now.
The RTI 2018 is intended to give Ghanaians and, particularly th media, access to information to public information with a view to pursuing the fight against corruption in Ghana.
The bill must however be given presidential assent before it becomes operational, as the necessary structures may have to be in place before it is fully implemented.
Ghana’s 1992 constitution provides for the RTI law to obtain information held by public and private institutions to deepen
transparency and accountability in matters relating to public interest.
Both Sides of Ghana’s parliament House welcomed the passage of the Bill, which had previously gone through a number of processes.
Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban S. Bagbin, who chaired proceedings of the House, said he expected the Bill to receive presidential assent by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He described the RTI Bill mooted by the Institute of Economic Affairs in collaboration with other stakeholders as “a key bill that was going to change the whole nature of governance in Ghana”.
It was formally laid in parliament in November 2013 and moved for a second reading in 2015, then withdrawn in October 2016 and replaced with a new one.
-0-PANA RA 27Mar2019
