ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADER APPEALS TO PREZ MAHAMA

From: Michael Sarpong Mfum, Odumase

An-corruption Crusader and Human Rights Activist, Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jr, has called on President Mahama to use his influence to put pressure  on Parliament to ensure speedy passage of the Right To Inform Bill if the President really want to fight corruption and lead transparency and accountable government.

According to him, President Mahama effort of fighting corruption in Ghana would be a mirage if he fails to ensure that the right to information bill is passed into law, adding RTI lays the foundation upon which to build good governance and check irregularity and corruption in public life and also promote grassroots participation in decision making processes.

                                                    Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jr.

Mr. Ahenu Jr. was speaking at a Focal Group Discussion on the Right To Information Bill at Odumase, theDistrict Capital of the Sunyani District in the Brong-Ahafo region. The Brong-Ahafo Network of NGOs (BANGO) organized the event in collaboration with the Coalition on the Right To Information Ghana.

About 25 participants attended the discussion, which aimed at empowering the grassroots and the media to advocate for the passage of the Ghana’s Right to Information Bill, which was drafted in since 2002.

Mr. Ahenu Jr. who is the Secretary of BANGO noted that Ghana's choice of democratic governance entails active participation by all in the governance of the country. In this participatory democracy, he said the Right to Information (RTI) is particularly relevant and it is only when those who are to participate in governance are well informed that they can contribute meaningfully to governance.

Mr. Ahenu Jr who also the founder and CEO of Global Media Foundation said  this can only be achieved if they have access to the relevant information and also ensures that there is available to the individual the requisite data or information to enable him or her to demand accountability from public office holders.

                                                    President John Dramani Mahama

The Programmes Director of Human Care and Maintenance Foundation, Collins Osei  said it is a fact that realization of the importance of the RTI and the desire to ensure that there is transparency in governance, constitute the foundation for empowering the citizenry to contribute to the good governance and the rapid development and progress of a country. 

He said it is widely said and known that information is power and power is access to information, adding that access to information strengthens democracy, good governance, transparency, accountability, economic growth and development, poverty reduction and fighting corruption. 

Mr.  Osei said although , Ghana has made great stride in its economic growth become the faster growing economy in the world in 2011, the country is yet to pass the RTI Bills into law.

The Chairman of the Brong-Ahafo Network of NGOs, Gabriel Bernakuu in a brief statement appealed to Parliament to ensure the speedy passage of the bill to help fight corruption and promote accountable governance.