Three years after the passing of the Right To Information (RTI) Bill into law, about 75% of requested information from the institutions has been granted rightly, the RTI Commission has disclosed.
Mr. Kofi Sarpong, General Manager, Policy Planning, Budget Monitoring and Evaluation disclosed that their data shows that about 90% of all request is coming from the greater Accra and Ashanti regions, which he said is very inimical to the RTI process, hence the need to intervene to make sure that there is a regional balance in terms of request for information.
He made these disclosures at a workshop supported by the UNSAID for about 12 Regional Information Officers and other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Kumasi to sensitize them on the implementation of the RTI Act as a policy.
Mr. Sarpong disclosed that in terms of strengthening access to the information ecosystem, the Commission with the guidance of the Ministry of Information has drafted regulations and a Legislative Instrument to be passed to give RTI ecosystem teeth to bite and capacity to enforce.
Madam Gina Mensah, Director of African Commonwealth Initiative office expressed worry over lack of the public understanding of the clauses, as to how it would affect their lives.
According to her, people do not value the benefits of RTI and do not know that there is an institution to punish when it refuses to give information.
Madam Mensah expressed the view that the process is a matter of time, because change is difficult and the more the media publicizes issues in relation to the commission, the more the public gets to know.
She disclosed that accessing and seeking information is not meant for the media alone, but it is incumbent on every Ghanaian and stakeholders in enhancing accountability and good governance.
Lawyer Kofi Amoah Sarpong, Head of Legal and Governance, RTI Commission disclosed that, the vision of the RTI Commission is to facilitate the right of access to information, promote and sustain awareness of the citizenry in their right of access to information and of institutions in their obligations to disclose information.
He indicated that the mission is to build an informed citizenry to promote transparency in public discourse, promote, monitor and enforce the right of access to information and hold public institutions accountable.
