Joseph Osei-Owusu
The much-touted consideration of the Right To Information (RTI) Bill, 2018 started on Wednesday with arguments by Members of Parliament (MPs) as to whether the introductory sub clause should be premised on the constitution as originally stated in the bill or amended to give it more certainty and potency.
Parliament is working feverishly to finish the consideration of the new RTI Bill, which has over 100 amendments proposed before the second meeting comes to a close on July 26.
There were disagreements as to whether the original rendition premised on Article 21 (1) (f) which says that ‘All persons (Ghanaians) shall have the right to information, subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society’ should be amended to ‘All persons (Ghanaians) shall have the right to information subject to the provisions of this Act’ as proposed by the chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ben Abdallah Banda.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Suhum, Frederick Opare-Ansah; NPP MP for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Boamah; National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and NDC MP for Chereponi, Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite, argued strongly for the retention of the original rendition of the sub clause since in passing most laws in parliament the constitution is used as the underlying legal document and may stand the risk of being challenged in the Supreme Court in the future.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu; Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Safo, NPP MP for Adentan, Yaw Buaben Asamoa and NPP MP for Asante Akim Central, Kwame Ayimadu-Antwi, strongly defended the new amendment and said it would give more certainty and access to information by members of the public.
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owuasu, who presided over events, called for an amendment, saying Ghanaians should have the freedom to access information from public officers because information being held by public officers belong to Ghanaians.
The First Deputy Speaker, therefore, upheld the amendment proposed by the chairman of the committee.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr