CSOs, media declare ‘RTI Red Friday’ protest, starting November 30

Some civil society organisations including Occupy Ghana have announced the start of a demonstration every Friday, starting November 30, 2018, against the delay in the passing of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill.

Dubbed #RTIRedFriday, the protest will see street advocacies and visits to Parliament on some selected days.

A release jointly signed by Media Coalition on Right to Information, the Coalition on Right to Information, Ghana and Occupy Ghana on Monday said the first street advocacy will see the distribution of RTI education materials.

This will be done at Obetsebi Lamptey Roundabout, Tudu-Accra Central, Tema Station, Accra Mall, Emmanuel Eye Clinic Traffic Lights, Ridge Roundabout, and Kwame Nkrumah Circle, all in the Greater Accra Region.

Speaker of Parliament Reverend Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye recently gave the assurance that RTI will be passed by close of year.

“The Right to Information Bill will be a thing of the past by end of this year. I can assure you, it will be done,” Speaker Oquaye assured.

RTI Bill will be passed before close of 2018 – Speaker of Parliament stresses
The release said the declaration of #RTIRedFriday “begins a countdown to the Rt. Hon. Speaker’s recent promise that the Bill would be passed before Parliament rises this year”.

On Friday, leadership of the coalition will also visit Parliament to observe the consideration stage of the Bill.

“We call on all Ghanaians across the country to wear anything RED on all these Fridays and post pictures in the RED attire on social media with the #RTIRedFriday to demonstrate to our elected Members of Parliament our collective resolve to get them to work in our interest as their employers, and not in their personal or political party interests as has been the case over the years so far as the passage of the RTI Bill is concerned.”