The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo not only to celebrate his government’s achievement in passing the Right to Information law but also to uphold its principles.
This call comes after the presidency declined to release the full KPMG report on the revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to the MFWA.
On April 24, 2024, MFWA invoked section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), requesting a copy of the comprehensive KPMG Audit Report on the GRA-SML contract, which was commissioned by the President.
In response, the presidency stated on Wednesday, “Upon careful consideration and in accordance with section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) of the RTI Act, I regret to inform you that your request has been refused. Section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) states that information prepared for or submitted to the President or Vice President containing opinions, advice, deliberations, recommendations, minutes, or consultations, is exempt from disclosure and that disclosure of such information would compromise the integrity of the deliberative process by revealing the thought process, considerations, and influence on decision-making reserved for the highest offices of the land.”
The statement further clarified that the complete KPMG Audit Report contains elements crucial to the President’s deliberative process and hence qualifies as exempt information under section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i).
Speaking on Citi FM on Thursday, Mr Braimah questioned the purpose of passing the RTI law if those who passed it are not prepared to comply with it.
He stated, “It is important to remind the president and the presidency that it is not just enough to tout your credentials as the one whose government passed the RTI law.
“It is not just about the passage of the law; it is about the effect of the law. It is about compliance with the law.”
“So, what is the point in passing the law and saying well passing the law demonstrates your commitment to transparency and accountability when you are not prepared to comply with that same piece of legislation.”