Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

Minister for Information Fatimatu Abubakar has presented to Parliament a report outlining the significant progress made in facilitating access to public information, while also addressing the challenges encountered and future plans for enhancing transparency and accountability in Ghana.

Presenting the report to the House on Friday, June 28, the Minister underscored the collaborative efforts of the Access to Information Division (ATI) of the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Right to Information Commission (RTIC).

Architecture for the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2019, she said, provides for three operational pillars upon which Article 21 (1) (f) right is accessed:

 the Supply Side Pillar,
 the Demand Side Pillar, and
 the Regulatory Side Pillar.

She emphasized that these pillars, facilitated by the Ministry of Information, are crucial for the effective functioning of the RTI Act.

The ATI Division executed several key initiatives in 2023, including capacity-building programs for RTI officers, research on the implementation of the RTI law, and the establishment of the National RTI Forum.

The RTI Commission also achieved significant milestones, including launching a five-year strategic plan and establishing regional offices in the Bono and Ashanti regions.

The Commission’s efforts were bolstered by the support of traditional leaders and partnerships with various stakeholders.

According to her, the Commission conducted a compliance survey, monitored 250 public institutions, and imposed administrative penalties on non-compliant entities.

“The Commission’s strategic plan outlines a clear vision for our activities over the next five years. It includes adopting digital platforms to facilitate access to information, improving gender equity and social inclusion, and strengthening the independence of the Commission,” she indicated.

She urged the RTI Commission to impose administrative penalties against non-compliant institutions and called for increased budgetary allocations to ensure the effective functioning of the RTI architecture.

She stressed the need for increased financial resources and cooperation from public institutions to ensure the effective functioning of the RTI architecture.

CHALLENGES

Fatimatu Abubakar identified five primary challenges;
 inadequate financial resources,
 logistical constraints,
 attrition among RTI officers,
 limited cooperation from public institutions, and
 bureaucratic practices impeding the timely response to information requests.

According to her, the lack of adequate financial resources to undertake activities that ensure the effective functioning of the supply side of the RTI architecture, including quality assurance has been a major obstacle.

“Logistical constraints, particularly unreliable internet infrastructure, have also hindered the work of Information officers, especially in the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs),” she added.

The Information Minister disclosed that the presentation of a Legislative Instrument for the RTI Act, 2019, to Parliament is also on the agenda for this year.

According to her, final consultations are being arranged with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Justice and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Legislature.

Ms. Abubakar has outlined several significant challenges faced in 2023 during the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019.

The Minister also underscored attrition among RTI officers and stressing a notable number of resignations during the year.

“The reasons cited by the exited officers included traveling for further studies and job opportunities. This has reduced the number of RTI officers across various public institutions, making it difficult for the Division to provide back-end support to institutions,” she explained.

The Ministry, she said, also experienced challenges in getting some public institutions to comply with certain aspects of the law.

According to her, some heads of public institutions still sign-off responses to RTI requests contrary to Section 19 of the RTI Act, 2019.

The information minister emphasized the need for financial clearance to complete staffing and compliance measures.

“Financial clearance needs to be provided as a matter of urgency to enable the RTI Commission to complete the recruitment of its full complement of staff to resource its regional offices in Kumasi, Sunyani, and Bolgatanga.

“Similarly, the ATI Division must replace exited officers and populate the outstanding 333 public institutions with information officers to ensure stated.

Ms Abubakar affirmed that the successful implementation of the RTI Act is crucial for promoting transparency and accountability in Ghana and stressed the need to overcome these challenges to ensure every citizen can exercise their right to information.

Ghanamps.com

The Committee on Roads and Transport on Thursday, June 27, 2024, visited the Kasoa Winneba road to see for themselve progress of work done so far which is at thirty percent (30).

The project is being executed in two phases as phase one is from Kasoa to Akoti which is eighteen (18) kilometers and phase two twelve kilometer (12) from Akoti to Winneba and being executed by two local contractors which is government of Ghana funded.

Chairman of the Committee Kennedy Osei-Nyarko led the Committee to undertake this oversight. Other members of the Committee were Hon Samuel Atta Mill, and Hon Ayii Laadi Ayamba.

The project which started on March 29, 2024, is expected to last for thirty-six calendar months and so far thirty percent of work has been done on the project.

Engineer Paul Dua who is the director of Survey and Design at the Ghana Highways Authority took the Committee members through the aim of the project being executed as an implementing agency.

He briefed the Committee that, the trunk of road being worked on helps connect the national capital to Winneba, Cape Coast and Takoradi for the purpose of commence, education, tourism and production centers like factories among others.

And over the last twenty years it has not seen proper intervention as there are unacceptable travel times on the stretch of the road, uncontrolled pedestrian crossing, unsafe turns, likely head on collusion as a two lane road. Therefore, there is the urgent need for the dualisation of the road.

He further pointed out that moving into the future around the Winneba round about there is likely to be an interchange.

On compensations, he disclosed that they have paid fair compensations during the Japanese time but if someone was not paid, they would look at it, stating that in most instances these are some of the challenges that delay the road project and gave example of the Pokuase road construction which issues are in court.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Highways Authority Collins Donkor in a question asked by the chairman of the Roads and Highways Committee noted that compensation has been paid on the stretch of the road when in 2006 there was a Japanese funding for work on the road, hence any person who comes forward for claims would be looked at.

Hon Osei-Nyarko noted that the Ofankor road construction is having delays due to issues of compensation and wanted to know if they have factored that into the work they are doing.

He further pointed out that he was impressed with work done so far and if work is done at same pace, the project would be completed ahead of the expected thirty-six months completion.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

As part of their oversight role, members of the Roads and Transport Committee on Thursday, June 27, 2024, visited Okyereko where there is ongoing construction of two new bridges as a result of flooding that displaced over one hundred and fifty (150) people in the Central Region.

The Okyereko Bridge is located on the Ayensu River which connects Kasoa to Winneba.

Chairman of the Committee Kennedy Osei-Nyarko in the company of other members of the Committee, Samuel Atta Mill, Ayii Laadi Ayamba were at the site.

The project Manager Stephen Tawai briefing the Committee noted that they are constructing two separate bridges with work is progressing steadily, adding that after the construction of the new one which would be higher than the exiting bridge the old bridge would be destroyed.

He added that the old bridge is low and cannot contain a lot of water coming from the area hence the new two bridges would be done in such a way to contain a lot of water from the river.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Contrarily to the Majority Leader’s assertion that the Minority is not ready and committed to the Free SHS Bill, the Minority Leader Atto Forson said the National Democratic Congress and for that matter the Minority will support the Bill.

Clarifying their position on the bill, he said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority caucus would support the Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill that seeks to improve the quality of education and fix the lapses identified in its implementation.

According to him, it should be on record that the Minority has not said anywhere that the NDC is opposed to the Free SHS policy as the Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has said; rather, “we have the government of the day and the Majority side not presented to the House the said Bill”, he clarifies on the floor of the House on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Again, the matter has found itself repeated on a number of NPP related media houses that have run for some time now. “All we see is desperation on the part of the ruling government to create disaffection for the Minority MPs.”

“How long will the Bill take from Flagstaff House to the House; weeks, months, seven years, if it’s coming from the Ministry of Education, it is even closer”

The Minority Leader challenged the Majority side to come with the Bill to the floor within one week or tomorrow so that they can see the content of the Bill.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com