The Right to Information Coalition (RTI Coalition) Ghana has urged government to lay the Right to Information Bill in Parliament before the end of the year to operationalize Article 21(1) (f) of the Constitution of Ghana.
The Coalition expressed dissatisfaction with the latest in the litany of promises made by government officials in relation to the passage of the Right to Information Bill into law in Ghana.
The Right to Information Bill was drafted in 1999 and reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007, but was not presented to Parliament until 2010.
The RTI Bill is expected to operationalise Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution which states that “all persons shall have the right to information, subject to such qualifications and laws, as are necessary for a democratic society.”
But the bill, which is expected to help fight corruption, is yet to see the light of day, as successive governments continue to read partisan meaning into its passage into law,
The erstwhile Mahama led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government attempted to pass the bill into law after losing the 2016 elections, but the decision was vehemently opposed by the then NPP Minority who threatened to walk out of the House.
It is unclear when the bill would be laid before Parliament for consideration, but the Right to Information Coalition is urging government to include the bill among those to be submitted to Parliament before the end of the year.
In a press release signed by Esther Ahulu, RTI Project Officer, the coalition expressed dissatisfaction with the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who reportedly proposed a new timetable for the passage of the RTI Bill – July, 2018 which is the next session of Parliament.
“We have observed regretfully that the continuing credibility deficit in government has been further heightened by the latest in the litany of promises and pledges which replaces the Minister for Information’s pledge to pass the RTI Bill by the end of the year, 2017,” the statement said.
It said, “The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government which touts itself as champion in the promotion of citizens’ participation, transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption, has surprisingly not been able to find time to discuss the RTI Bill which has been submitted to Cabinet since May for approval to be laid in Parliament.”
The Coalition wants government to deliver on its campaign promise to pass the bill into law.
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