Editors throw weight behind speedy passage of Right to Information Bill

Accra, Nov. 4, GNA - The Editors Forum, Ghana (EFG) on Wednesday thr= ew its weight behind the campaign for the speedy passage of the Right to Information Bill. EFG said it especially supported a call by participants at a worksho= p on the Bill in Koforidua last week urging the government to ensure its passage before the end of 2009.

A statement issued in Accra by Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, EFG Chairperson= , said the Forum held the view that a free flow of information was an essential component of democracy and was vital for good governance, respe= ct for human rights and the rule of law.

"We therefore urge the government to underpin Ghana's growing democratic credentials by ensuring the speedy passage of the Bill after i= ts revision to include the many important suggestions by civil society group= s and campaigners," the statement said.

It said the EFG supported the crucial suggestion that to make the la= w more effective, an independent body should be charged with its implementation. The Koforidua workshop was organised by the Commonwealth Human Right= s Initiative, an international non-governmental organisation, in collaborat= ion with the Coalition on the Right to Information.

The Ghana News Agency reported that in a communiqu=E9 issued at the end of the meeting, the participants reiterated the importance of a Right to Information Law for Ghana, especially in the efforts to check corruption and as a vital tool for the promotion of the national development agenda. The EFG said as the Koforidua communiqu=E9 noted: "Placing (it) with= the Attorney General tends to undermine the potential efficacy of the law and=

contradicts international principles governing such laws."

The statement said it agreed with the suggestion that the scope of t= he law should be widened to cover not just government agencies but also priv= ate bodies whose activities border on the people's fundamental rights or thos= e that used public resources to undertake public functions on behalf of the=

government. That would make the law more effective and enable it achieve its objectives.

"Furthermore, the EFG believes that since good records management is= a necessity for a Right to Information Law, passage of the Bill is one sure=

way of propelling the country's institutions to manage their records more=

efficiently and thus enhance governance. "Contrary to popular misconception, we believe that a Right to Information Law will not benefit only the media. The free flow of information will benefit the whole society, hence it is in the interest o= f all sections of the society to take an interest in this matter and add th= eir voices to those of the campaigners."

The EFG said it was therefore echoing the view of the Koforidua communiqu=E9 that the government should "table this bill before Parliamen= t before the year ends" and pass a law that would be a model not only for Africa, but also the rest of the world. The EFG is a group of editors, senior journalists and media educator= s and it is affiliated to the Ghana Journalists Association. Its founding i= n 2005 was sponsored by the UNDP, under its Peace and Governance programme. 4 Nov. 09