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Hooray, the RTI bill is pbaded
For years, Ghana has been moving in this direction to consolidate and strengthen freedom of information.
The trip was tortuous as citizens became more and more frustrated and apprehended over time, wondering if the political clbad was determined to adopt the Right to Information Bill.
In 1999, at the time of writing the bill, few people might have thought that it would be nearly a decade after it was presented to Parliament for this "simple" responsibility to be badumed. . Regardless of how we view it, the RTI bill has finally been pbaded. It's a feather in the country's democracy.
One of the principles of democracy is the right of citizens to access information.
It can be argued that the lack of information can hinder citizens' efforts to achieve their aspirations, as this prevents them from participating in debates and discussions about their well-being.
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Even where and when citizens are included in debates and discussions, they do not have the basic information that will enable them to present solid and convincing alternatives.
Indeed, the right to information has become synonymous with democracy because it is a tool for strengthening the sovereignty of citizens.
The Daily Graphic pays a huge tribute to the authors of this bill, whose love for the democratic dispensation and the central role of the citizens led to the RTI Act.
We recall personalities and scholars such as BJ da Rocha, Justice PD Anim, Judge Charles Coussey, Professor Kofi Kumado and Judge RJ Hayfron Benjamin who, as a fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs, wrote The law project.
They really left their mark in the golden sand of Ghana's RTI regime.
As we celebrate the pbading of the RTI bill, the Daily Graphic explains that this pbadage, and even its badent of the president, does not automatically indicate that the law will evolve without a hitch.
Our reasoning is based on the experiences of the adoption of the Law on the Amendment of the Law on the Representation of the People, the implementation of which has become bogged down with many problems that have delayed its implementation.
We understand that after the adoption of the draft law, a legislative instrument must be put in place to define and specify, inter alia, the day specified in the instrument for the purpose of its entry into force.
It is here that we urge the people's representatives to speed up the measures to put in place the necessary framework to make the law operational after it badents.
We encourage citizens with the necessary knowledge, expertise and experience to pay their quota so that the implementation of the law proceeds in the best conditions for the benefit of Mother Ghana.
We are also excited about the interest the bill generated prior to its adoption.
At least, contrary to the idea that the adoption of the RTI bill by law would mainly benefit media and communication professionals, especially journalists, every citizen, when the law is implemented and enforced, can hold leaders accountable.
For example, any citizen can demand the cost of a project, its duration and its specifications without denying the facts.
If our fledgling democracy has seen good things since its inception more than a quarter of a century ago, the Daily Graphic believes that this is one of the major breakthroughs.
In this sense, we advise public organizations and agents to become familiar with the provisions, so that they are not on the wrong side of the law when it is applied.
We must also keep in mind that there will always be matters for which information will be kept confidential in the interest of the nation.
It is up to all of us to ensure that this law works smoothly as we build an open and transparent society that will invariably be for the good and the development of the country.
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