President John Dramani Mahama has lamented the delay in the passing of the Right to Information Bill, indicating that he does not know the progress of deliberations on the bill so far.
“We have put in legislation aside from the constitution to guarantee access to freedom of information. I must say, unfortunately, it will go down in history as the legislation that has taken the longest in parliament. Cabinet approved it, we submitted it to parliament… I do not know where it is,” he told dignitaries at a conference in Paris organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on September 26.
Mr Mahama who was speaking on the role of access to information in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) noted that the Bill “has been at the Committee level, the Committee decided to go round and consult with some saying it is too liberal. Others too are saying it is too tight and so parliament is still working on it”.
He was, however, optimistic about its completion for citizens to have a legal basis for demanding information.
The Right to Information 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: “All persons shall have the right to information subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.”
Meanwhile, a group calling itself RTI Coalition, Ghana, issued a statement prior to Mr Mahama’s address at the conference indicating: “President Mahama has not demonstrated strong commitment to the passage of the RTI Bill, despite his party’s promises in their 2008 and 2012 manifestos.”
“The RTI Coalition believes the selection of President Mahama to speak on such a day… presents an opportunity for the president to make concrete commitments on the passage of an effective and efficient RTI legislation before the current Parliament elapses in 2017.”
Source: classfmonline.com
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Last time, it was your speech, and this time you dont even know where the RTI is? what sort of president do we have in Ghana here at all. He keeps on disgracing himself and Ghana as a whole with his lack of vision, lack of reasoning and lack of governance. i dont blame this man at all but we the electorates for voting for him and for him killing uncle prof. he doesnt merit the seat of presidency at all. #twaso pls twaso so you can go and enjoy your ford expedition with akua donkor. thank you
In one vein the president said he didn't know, and in another the Bill has been at the Committee level, the Committee decided to go round and consult with some saying it is too liberal. Others too are saying it is too tight and so parliament is still working on it. So what is the president saying? Does he know or he doesn't?
this Mahama guy is the worst president.... He is seriously a joker, very incompetent.... he is not fit to be president.
AYARIGA AND AKUA DONKOR ARE THE 2 MOST GYIMI THINGS TO HAPPEN TO GHANA POLITICS. OF COURSE, AFTER JULOR MAHAMA. GHANAMAN VOTE MAHAMA OUT SO THAT WE CAN GET RID OF GYIMI PEOPLE LIKE AYARIGA THE BRAIN-DEAD FROM GHANA POLITICS.
Incredible!!! The President really said that????
Mr. president how will you know when you are busy drinking alcohol,sharing money and cars to Dumelo and the girls you have been sleeping with.shame on you mr. president.
You are the President and your party, the NDC holds majority in parliament. For you to say you don't know where the bill is, is untenable. it means that you are ASLEEP at the switch. You must GO. You are not a good president. You are JOKING at the Flagstaff House.
Prez the RTI is in Ghana. When u come l will show it to u. If through your MPs we were able to pass a law in two weeks to meet IMF demands, half of that effort can pass this RTI Bill. If the BNI can read what Ghanaians write outside Ghana and monitor them and arrest them at the airport on arrival, do same with your MPs and this bill will be passed by mid October 2016
What a disgraced president. I am so sad
So when Ghanaians say that this guy is incompetent is there not so much evidence to prove that? A leading member of your party is the speaker of Parliament. In addition to that, the majority leader, who also doubles us the leader of the house is from your party. And you shamefully go and tell the world that you don't know where the RTI Bill is. What an apology of a president.