RTI: We may march, strike – Coalition

The chairman of the Right to Information Coalition, Seth Abloso has suggested that a series of street protests may be the next move of the group if the government fails to meet its own target of passing the age-old Right to Information (RTI) Bill.

Although President Nana Akufo-Addo has indicated that the RTI Bill, which has been in parliament since 2010, would be passed before the present parliament rises, there are fears this may not happen since different governments have toyed with its passage within the past two decades.

Speaking to Benjamin Akakpo on Total Recall on Class91.3FM on Wednesday, 3 October 2018, Mr Abloso said the coalition is bent on holding the government to account.

“I wish to indicate that we’ll take them [government] by their word, but we’ve presented our concerns to the Majority Leader as well as the Minority Leader, and we’ll continue to engage with them to ensure we get their buy into the proposal we have sent to them.

“From what we’ve seen so far, demonstrations and strikes work results and we’ve been very restraining, but it is not an option that we’ve discounted, we may have to put that on the drawing board”, he stated.

Meanwhile, Deputy Information Minister Pius Enam Hadzide has indicated that Nana Akufo-Addo is ready to assent to the Bill once lawmakers fulfil their part of the deal by passing it.

According to Mr Hadzide, the president has a track record of pushing for landmark reforms such as the repeal of the criminal libel law and that the RTI bill would be no exception.

He said: “I can assure you that this regime, this dispensation, the government of His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo is very much committed to passing the RTI Bill into an act.

“It is recalled that it is this same president, who, when he was Attorney General, led the onslaught on the criminal libel law and sought a repeal of that law and the limitations that were imposed particularly on our friends in the media.

“Remain assured that we are committed to passing the RTI. The RTI is at the consideration stage in parliament; effectively, it has left the domain of the executive and it is now with the legislature and, so, we can interrogate the processes of parliament and see how this matter can be fast-tracked.”

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com