The Right to Information Coalition (RTIC) was Wednesday disappointed when the Ministers of Information and the Attorney-General who were supposed to receive some documents, aimed at guiding them in their deliberation towards the passage of the Right to Information Bill in the shortest possible time were not met in their offices. When the over 1,000 Coalition members and some people with disabilities stopped over at the Ministry of Information, the news was that the out-going Minister, Zita Okai Koi had travelled and her two deputies were also at the Castle attending a meeting. It however took several minutes to get the Acting Chief Director, Xola Senaya to receive the documents on behalf of the Ministry, which he assured would be handed over to the appropriate quarters and commended the people for their comportment. Information has it that the Bill received Cabinet approval in November last year and gazetted recently and would soon be in Parliament for onward deliberations. The Coalition, led by Human Rights Activist, Nana Oye Lithur was on a civil society march in collaboration with the “Publish What You Pay-Ghana” to echo the need for passing the RTI Bill into law. Some of the placards read; "RTI will promote democracy, RTI is the mother of all information, Agya Atta fulfill your promise, Uncle Atta pass RTI now, RTI promotes civil rights, RTI will improve rule of law, We need information access, RTI will promote accountability" and others. It started from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle at about 8:45 am through the streets of Adabraka to the Information Ministry, the Attorney General’s Department and eventually to the Parliament House in Accra. Although reports made the rounds that the police had refused to provide security, 100 men with five senior officers were on the ground, Superintendent Sylvester Boyuo, the Greater Accra Regional Operations Commander said. Also at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department, the Solicitor General, Madam Ama Gaisie received the documents on Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu’s behalf, noting that she had been engaged with other assignments. She said it would be passed on to her as soon as she returned to the office. The last port of call was the Parliament House where the Majority Leader, Alban Kingsley Bagbin (MP) received the documents for the Speaker of Parliament, Mrs. Joyce Bamford-Addo with the Minority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu (MP). Welcoming them at the forecourt of the House, Mr. Bagbin said that the House would place priority on the process to give it a critical consideration since, according to him, it is the surest way of combating corruption in the system. Mr. Kyei-Mensah also added his voice, saying its passage would add up to the quest to fight corruption. While commending the Coalition for their perseverance, he urged other organizations to take up similar challenges to promote good governance. The statement, which was endorsed by Coalition members and partners, indicated that in 2003, the previous administration drafted the first RTI Bill to operationalise the constitutional right to information under Article 21 (1) f, of the 1992 Constitution. It said “after 18 years of the Fourth Republic, no law has been passed to protect and facilitate the enjoyment of the right to information in Ghana”. However, in 2008 during the electioneering campaign, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), promised to pass the Bill as part of its efforts to curb corruption and consolidate the country’s democracy. According to the statement, when passed into law, it would strengthen the country’s democracy, protect human rights, promote rule of law and further help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “We urge government to pay critical attention to the text of the Bill to ensure that the RTI law that is passed into law conforms to international best practice standards and enhances accountability and transparency”, it said. It also called for an independent oversight body to undertake the responsibility to enforce the RTI law, adding that there must be timely access to information while the numerous exemptions listed under the Bill, be reduced. Moreover, it pointed out “the Bill must cover not just government agencies but also private sector and chieftaincy institutions, which all play key roles in national trade and development initiatives. The fees for accessing information must be minimal”. The statement further outlined among other things a strong political commitment, indicating that the effective realization of the right to information depended largely on the political will coupled with the capacity to enforce this law without prejudice. It said on various occasions, officials in the NDC government had made several supportive statements and commitments to pass the Bill, citing March 2009 when the Minister of Justice and A-G, Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu during the final consultation meeting on the Bill with the Coalition noted that “the main thrust of the RTI Bill, save for the exceptions, was that a public officer will not be able to say to a member of the public I cannot tell you what you have the right to know”. Credit: Nayank