You can’t set a trap for yourself; politicians won’t approve RTI Bill - Allotey Jacobs

Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Allotey Jacobs has cast doubts over the enactment of the Right to Information Bill by Parliament.

According to Allotey Jacobs, it is near impossibility for the legislators to pass the bill since it will entrap them.

There have been lots of discussions and agitations for the Right to Information Bill to be enacted into an Act by the Legislative House.

Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye recently directed the Joint Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Communication to expedite action on the Right to Information (RTI) Bill.

Addressing legislators, Prof. Oquaye told the joint committee to ensure it completed work on the RTI Bill expeditiously and “make a report as quickly as possible in order for us to deliberate thereof”.

But some Members of Parliament are opposing the passage of the bill into law.

K.T. Hammond, Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa is reported to have said “there will be no secret in government” should the bill be passed.

“You need peace of mind to run a government. You need to concentrate and if you have a bill and before the ink dries on it, somebody is asking you to ‘bring this document’ . . . to the extent that we are talking about communication between the president, the vice president and cabinet, potentially there will be no secret in government . . . ‘Free society’ and all that is a journalist’s jargon and until they sit on the seat of an administrator, they will not know what it feels like to be pestered for information.

“Gold nuggets are in there for journalists. One single slip, ministers cannot operate, government cannot proceed effectively, governance cannot take place meaningfully with this sort of albatross hanging over our heads,” he said.

Speaking to sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, the NDC stalwart believes the bill will serve as a trap and expose the secrets of politicians, hence asking “who will want his secret to be exposed?”

To him, the bill won’t be approved by Parliament.

“You can’t set a trap for yourself. Politicians won’t approve this RTI. It’s not going to be possible,” he said.