Ghana News
Agency: Ghana: Thursday, 27 February 2020.
The
Ministry of Information (MoI) has begun sensitisation exercises on the Right to
Information Act (RTI) for the management and staff of the various Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as part of the implementation of the RTI (Act
989).
The
sensitisation exercise, which began on Monday, February 24, is expected to
continue for the next 16 days and would highlight key areas of the RTI to ensure
its effective implementation.
At
a sensitisation workshop for workers of the Ministry of Railways Development in
Accra, Mr Mawuli Segbefia, a Principal Value Officer at the Policy Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate at the Ministry, said the RTI law was
very important because it would help build a culture of transparency and
accountability in public affairs.
He
said the law was revolutionary since it would change the way information was
generated, stored and diffused in the public service and ensure that no one is
denied access to information.
Mr
Segbefia, providing an overview of the legal framework of the Act, said there
is the need for clear times lines for response to a request and proactive disclosure
of information.
The
process of requesting for information include: picking up a standard access to
information request form from a public institution, filling the form and submitting
it to the information unit or registry of the public institution, he said.
He
said the application form would be received and the applicant notified within
14 working days after submission on the availability or existence of the information
requested.
In
situations where the information exists, he said, the applicant would be
notified of the manner and data in which access may be granted between one and
120 days upon notification on the existence of information and the prescribed
fee for the reproduction of the information requested.
Mr
Segbefia said offences under Act 989 included: failure or neglect by an
information officer or other public officers to perform his/her function under
the law, obtaining personal information of third party under false pretense and
willfully providing false statement in order to obtain information.
He
said people found to have violated the law would attract either a summary
conviction of a fine between 250-500 penalty units; a prison term between one
to three years; or both.
Mr
Segbefia said even though the RTI granted access to information, the law
exempts certain disclosures including information about the president or vice president;
information relating to Cabinet; information relating to law enforcement and
public safety.
More
so, information affecting international relations and information that affects
the security of the state.
Mr
Segbefia said although the implementation of the RTI law had started there was
some work to be done including the setting up of the RTI Commission for
appeals, establishment of information units at the various MDA’s headed by a
fully trained RTI Officer; and nationwide deployment of Information Technology
based solutions for the archiving and retrieval of information.
He
urged the MoI in the interim, to designate an RTI officer and ensure that the
front desk and designated RTI officials are briefed on the handing of request
for information and make available application forms for requesting
information.
Again,
the Ministry should release the designated RTI officer and the Chief Records
Officers for training which is expected to start from March 11.
Mrs
Patricia Dovi Sampson, the Director of the PPME of the Ministry, noted that
information exempted from disclosure should it be disclosed, would undermine
the deliberating process.
She
mentioned those exemptions as information that could contravene parliamentary
privileges, prejudice the fair trial of a person and infringe privileged information.
She
encouraged the workers, including the drivers and security and guards to be
aware of the RTI law and help in the implementation of the law by directing all
visitors who enquire about the RTI to the appropriate office.
Ms
Ama Frimpong, a member of the sensitisation team, said applicants who feel they
have been wrongly denied access to information could appeal to the RTI
Commission, an external body mandated to promote, protect and enforce the RTI.
In
addition, the applicant can appeal to the high court if he or she is not
satisfied with the decision of the Commission.
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