Right to information passage in Ghana: Perspectives of journalists and information officers

Abstract

After many years of delay, the parliament of Ghana in 2019 finally passed the Right to Information Act (Act 989). The purpose of the Right to Information Act (henceforth RTI) was to promote transparency and accountability by giving people the power to access information regarding both central and local governments. However, the implementation of the Act is already fraught with challenges. Given that the passage and implementation of the RTI Law is a recent phenomenon in Ghana, and very few studies have been conducted, this study adopted an exploratory research design using in-depth interviews to gather data, which provided insight into the views of journalists and information officers regarding the effectiveness of the implementation of the RTI Act. The study reported on three main conclusions: First, the RTI law has not resolved the tensions between those who wield information and media and other professionals, although some level of progress has been made. A major concern, however, has been implementation bottlenecks, such as deliberately hiding behind bureaucracy to conceal information. Second, the implementation of the RTI law has engendered some degree of transparency and accountability among public officials in government institutions, due to pressure from the media, which has helped to fight corruption in such institutions. Third, government officials have developed strategies to promote the effectiveness of the law, such as public education and awareness campaigns on the tenets of the RTI law via the various media networks in Ghana.  The study recommends that further studies should focus on quantitative procedures, such as surveys to seek the opinion of applicants and the public in general on RTI law and its implementation. The study has implications for future governmental policies regarding the effective implementation of the RTI Act in Ghana.