Speaker unhappy with pressure from CSO’s over passage of RTI bill

The Speaker said Parliament is already working on the said bill, adding that “no Civil Society Organization should at this belated hour jump on our backs and pretend as if they are the people interested in passing this bill.”

Prof. Ocquaye said this while delivering an address at the rising of Parliament for the Christmas break on Saturday.

According to him, the conduct of some institutions was creating an impression that Parliament was being lackadaisical in passing the RTI bill.

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“While Parliament is still working hard to pass the RTI bill, certain persons and institutions are acting as if we are drooling off on the bill. This is fallacious and I will be glad if the media will seriously correct this misimpression. The bill has seen several years and several parliaments and it is tricky in many ways,” he lamented.

The Speaker added that Parliament is working hard to get the bill passed and even gave a February 2019 deadline.

He said the bill is already 80% complete and should definitely be passed by the first quarter of next year.

“We have done 80% of the work already and we will finish the bill fully I believe and professionally on or before the end of February 2019. The public should please trust us and leave us alone for now to do a good job.

“We are committed to passing the bill and we are working towards it. No Civil Society Organization should at this belated hour jump on our backs and pretend as if they are the people interested in passing this bill,” Prof. Ocquaye explained.

There have been numerous protests by a section of the media, who have formed a coalition, to push Parliament’s hand to pass the bill.