Prime News Ghana

Pass RTI Bill with the same speed as defence deal - IMANI

By Clement Edward Kumsah
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President of policy think tank IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has expressed his disappointment with the Akufo-Addo-led government for its jet speed approval of the Ghana-US Military deal when the RTI Bill is yet to be passed into law after a decade.

The RTI is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the country’s 1992 Constitution and recognised as a right under International Conventions on Human rights. The bill will give substance to Article 21 (1) (f) of the 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”.

Franklin Cudjoe quizzed why the RTI bill has not been passed despite several calls on government but as controversial as the defence deal between Ghana and USA has been ratified with a rapid “speed”, although the agreement had not been exhaustively analysed.

Franklin Cudjoe in a Facebook post said: “The US-Ghana Military base deal was passed by only the majority side in Parliament last night. The minority side walked out. There is very little evidence that the deal has been exhaustively analysed and further expansive concessions exacted from the Americans by the interior and defense ministries, judging from the near comical justifications made by the two in recent public discourse. What worries me greatly in all of the drama is the speed with which Parliament passed a deal that will be more beneficial to a foreign entity but has virtually abandoned the Right to Information bill for nearly 17 years. Well, I do hope the RTI bill will be treated with same bravado and speed to enable citizens demand many answers of the military deal. At this rate, we are mere robotic mortals at the feet of our political elites. I am highly disappointed!!”

Parliament on Friday night, March 23, 2018, approved the controversial Ghana-US Defence Cooperation Agreement which seeks to provide the United States access into the country to camp its military forces.

 The approval was done by only Majority Members of Parliament because the Minority staged a walkout during the debate on the Floor of the House.

As part of the agreement, the US government will be spending $20 million in training and supplying equipment for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

Background on RTI bill

It has been 19 years since the first Right to Information, RTI Bill was drafted under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs, IEA in 1999.

The RTI Bill, which is expected to make information easily accessible by the media and Ghanaians to boost the fight against corruption, has been in legislation for several years now because successive governments have failed to implement it despite several assurances.

The Executive RTI Bill was subsequently reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was never laid before Parliament until February 5, 2010.

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