Renowned journalist and a legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini has adviced stakeholders responsible for the full implementation of the Right to Information Bill (RTI) not to take another long time before making it a law.
The much awaited RTI Bill was finally passed in Parliament on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 since its inception some 20 years ago. The Bill was passed following the completion of its consideration stage after several policy changes, amendments and months of rigorous debates on the Floor of the House.
The Bill is however, awaiting assent from President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Samson Anyenini hoped that the implementation of the law will not be postponed over ‘flimsy excuses’ like the passage process experienced in parliament.
“There was a deferred implementation because again, the flimsy and lame excuse was given that there was no budget and arrangement for it. So, we need to wait for the next financial year. Go and check the history of the Bill they took care of and ask the question, how many of them had any financial thing prepared for in advance. It was such a lame excuse. We took it.” He queried.
The leading member of the Coalition on RTI added that the legislature must desist from the ‘normal Parliament jargon’ of ‘oh we are doing it, we are on it, it’s in the pipeline’ and ensure the right measures are put in place before the law is effectively implemented.
In his words, “Start now. So that by the time the period is up, for us to now begin to roll it out effectivey everything would have been covered. There will be an LI. Let’s have it as quickly it ought to be”.
