Accra: High staff attrition at the Right to Information (RTI) Commission is undermining the timely processing of information requests and complaints, Mr Stephen Owusu, Head of Legal at the Commission, said on Tuesday. He indicated that despite being an independent body under law, the Commission continues to face challenges of limited resources and the loss of trained personnel, particularly lawyers, which is placing significant pressure on its operations.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Owusu made these remarks at an advocacy workshop on the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), held in Accra. This engagement formed part of a broader anti-corruption initiative, 'Stopping Impunity for Corruption through Enhanced Accountability,' implemented in partnership with Transparency International Secretariat.
The RTI Commission, established in 2020 and mandated by Section 40 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), is tasked with promoting, monitoring, protecting, and enforcing the right to information granted to all persons under the Constitution. Mr Owusu highlighted that in 2022, the Commission recruited 120 staff, but high attrition has since affected several departments, including the Legal and Tribunal Department. Specifically, the Legal Department, which once had eight lawyers, was reduced to only one lawyer by the first quarter of last year, necessitating the recruitment and training of newly qualified lawyers.
The attrition has led to delays in handling complaints and applications submitted to the Commission. Mr Owusu expressed concern over the growing reluctance by some institutions, particularly security agencies, to fully comply with the RTI Act. He noted that while certain information categories may be exempt from disclosure under the Act, no public institution could entirely exempt itself from the law.
Mr Owusu also reported a significant increase in public awareness and utilization of the RTI law, with individual citizens now making up the majority of applicants. This shift indicates a growing public understanding of the law and its role in promoting transparency and accountability in governance. He urged information officers in public institutions to adopt a principled approach when processing information requests.
Furthermore, he mentioned that work on the proposed Legislative Instrument (LI) to support the implementation of the RTI Act is nearly complete and currently under review by the Commission's governing board before submission to Parliament, with optimism for its passage by year-end.
Mr Bright Sena Ayivi, Assistant Programmes Officer at Transparency International Ghana, presented findings from a recent study on RTI laws in East and West Africa. The study identified persistent challenges such as bureaucratic delays, administrative bottlenecks, low public awareness, inadequate digital infrastructure, and resistance from public institutions to releasing information. Mr Ayivi called for stronger enforcement of the RTI Act, increased public education, proactive disclosure by public institutions, and enhanced collaboration among anti-corruption agencies to bolster transparency, accountability, and public trust in governance, aiding efforts to combat corruption and impunity across the continent.