Improved RTI bill to be laid before parliament next week – Haruna Iddrisu

An improved version of the Right to Information (RTI) bill is ready to be laid before parliament for the second time this year, Minority Leader of Parliament Haruna Iddrisu has revealed.

The bill which was first laid under a certificate of urgency during the last meeting of parliament this year was withdrawn the same day and re-laid to be taken through the normal parliamentary procedure.

While on recess, the joint committees on Communication and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs worked on the over decade-old bill which has been moving in and out of parliament over the years.

When parliament resumed from recess last week, Speaker of Parliament tasked the committee working on the RTI bill to expedite action on its report and present same before the House for consideration.

At a media encounter Wednesday, Mr. Iddrisu, said the bill has been improved and is ready to be brought before parliament again.

“There is commitment by the new administration to see it happen. It is one of the bills that has seen a lot of improvement so it should be easier for us to see it through when it comes back as we take it through the second reading,” he said.

“So RTI is ready and it has been scheduled by the business committee, it came up at our last meeting and in fact, you may see it on Wednesday next week”, he said.

Background

The RTI is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the country’s 1992 Constitution and recognized as a right under International Conventions on Human rights.

The bill will give substance to Article 21 (1) (f) of the Constitution which states that “All persons shall have the right to information subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society”.

The right to information bill has in the past been introduced to parliament but always expired on the resolution of parliament.