Right to Information Bill Finally Laid in Parliament

The Right to Information Bill has finally been laid in Parliament and referred to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, and the Communications Committee of Parliament.

This comes after Cabinet, on Thursday, approved the bill, enabling it to be laid before the august house.

It has been 22 years since the first Right to Information RTI Bill was drafted under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs, IEA and 16 years since the Executive arm of government in 2002 drafted the first RTI Bill.

The draft Executive Bill was subsequently reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was never laid in Parliament until February 5, 2010. Government came under massive pressure to get the bill laid following fears that government was deliberately delaying the process.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, however, raised procedural issues and breach of the Constitution given that the bill was laid without gazetting.

But this was dismissed by the majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who argued that if the two committees determined that the bill was of urgent nature then there would be no requirement for a gazette.

Source: ISD (Eva Frempon-Ntiamoah)

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