General News of Thursday, 22 March 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-03-22
Veep Bawumia earlier indicated that cabinet had given approval for the passage of the B
The Majority leader in Parliament says Cabinet is yet to approve the Right to Information (RTI) Bill, contradicting an earlier comment by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu told Joy News’ Joseph Opoku-Gakpo Thursday, it is only a Cabinet Sub-committee that has sanctioned the Bill after fine-tuning it but Cabinet itself is yet to approve same.
The comment by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister comes barely 72 hours after the Vice President assured civil society organisations the “government is working to get the Bill passed.”
“Cabinet has given approval for the Right to Information Bill to be laid in Parliament for debate and approval because it is very critical that we pass it,” he said when he addressed the Norway-Ghana Business and Investment Forum in Accra, Monday.
But in an exclusive interview with Joy News, Mr Mensah Bonsu said the Bill will be considered by Cabinet, later Thursday, promising it will be okayed.
“Cabinet is meeting today [Thursday] and after its approval, we have to wait for the stipulated time for it to mature in Parliament,” he said.
He added the RTI Bill is not the type that can be admitted under a certificate of urgency, which will require the impending recess of Parliament to be rescheduled.
Mr Mensah Bonsu explained when the Bill is brought to the House, it will be forwarded to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee to work on it.
“They [Committee members] can take it home and do the necessary consultations so that when we return in June [2018 it will be passed],” he said.
The RTI Bill has been in and out of Parliament for over15 years but there is an indication it will be laid Friday for work to commence on it.