Ghanaians’ fight against corruption: Govt to implement RTI Act from Jan 2020

The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo has signed to the Right to Information Act on Tuesday to finally making it a law. The bill will come into operation in January next year.

The signature of Nana Akufo-Addo on the bill guarantees every Ghanaian the right to access public information. It took around 20 years to see the birth of the law, after the bill had been drafted in 1999. According to Ghana’s President, the implementation of RTI law will enhance the West African country’s good governance and the fight against corruption.

“Properly applied, it will enhance the quality of our governance in the country and provide the critical tool in the fight against corruption in the next financial year i.e., January 2020,” Nana Akufo-Addo said. “I want to congratulate the 7th Parliament for its courage, sense of responsibility and commitment to good governance in passing this significant piece of legislation,” he added.

“The purposes of the act as set out in its preamble is to provide for the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by any public institution and to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs,” Ghana’s Head of State stressed.

The draft Executive Bill was subsequently reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was never laid in Parliament until February 5, 2010. Later, it was withdrawn to review some clauses. The President expressed his excitement that the long much-awaited law has now become a reality.

Earlier today, I gave assent to the Right to Information Act, at a brief event at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency. I am happy that deliberations on the RTI Bill were concluded in my time as President of the Republic, and in the time of the 7th Parliament. pic.twitter.com/kJJtKNGULJ

— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) May 21, 2019

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