General News of Tuesday, 21 May 2019
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2019-05-21
President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appended his signature to the Right to Information Bill (RTI) to make it a law.
The President signed the bill on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at a short ceremony at the Jubilee House and stated it was handed over to him on Monday, but because he promised not to delay it further, he decided to immediately sign.
The bill will, however, start operating in January 2020.
To President Akufo-Addo, he was optimistic that the law will enhance good governance.
He said if the law was properly applied, it will enhance the quality of governance in Ghana and provide a critical tool in the fight against corruption.
Parliament passed the bill in March 2019 after about two decades of advocacy for the law.
The RTI Bill was first drafted in 1999, reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was only presented to Parliament in 2010 and was not passed by that Parliament and the subsequent one.
It was however relaid in Parliament in 2018 and was subsequently passed in March 2019
