RTI law will reduce media pressure on Ministers of State – Namoale
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in-charge of Fisheries, on Wednesday noted that the passage of the Right to Information Bill into law would reduce media pressure on the Executive and Members of Parliament.
“The RTI law will empower Information and Public Relations Officers to serve as frontline personnel to proactively feed the media and the public with government generated information,” Nii Amasah Namoale stressed.
“The development will tremendously reduce the daily cargo of questions Ministers of State deal with from the media across the country, which at times interrupt official duties,” Nii Amasah Namoale, who is also the National Democracy Congress Member of Parliament for Dade Kotopon, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.
Clause 23 of the Bill makes the information office of an agency responsible for determining an application and requires the information officer to give a notice to the applicant within 21 working days from the date of receipt of the application stating whether or not access will be granted.
Where access will be granted the notice will have to state the mode for the access. Where access is refused, the notice will have to state the reasons for the refusal.
In clause 24 provision is made for the information officer of an agency to give notice to the applicant by a statutory declaration, where the information requested for cannot be found or does not exist. The declaration should further state the steps taken to find the information or to determine its existence.
Nii Namoale however expressed reservation about the time frame, which he considered too long.
“Parliament will seriously look at it again as it may hinder us as Members of Parliament in quest for information from other State agencies to enhance debate in the house.”
Nii Namoale observed that the Bill needs to be qualified in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, explaining that Article 12 (2) subjects the enjoyment of the human rights provisions in Chapter Five to the rights and freedoms of others and the public interest.
In addition, article 21 (1) (f) specifically subjects the right to information “to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society,” he noted.
He noted that the underlying factor in the qualifications to the RTI is the need to protect the safety and integrity of the State and privacy of individuals.
Explaining the rationale for the numerous exemptions, Nii Namoale said the provision was meant to address specific circumstances and situations to ensure that all loopholes are blocked in order not to whittle away the right of access in the implementation of the law.
He said Parliament is committed in passing a law that would meet international standards and best practices with due consideration to Ghanaian environment and norms.
Source: GNA