Right to Information (RTI) Officers, Mr. Samuel Agyemang Duah of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) and Mr. Emmanuel Asare of the Oforikrom Municipal Assembly, engaged listeners in an enlightening discourse on the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) on Pure FM 95.7 on Friday, June 20.

The radio discussion, which aired during the station’s public education segment, aimed at demystifying the Act and empowering citizens to exercise their constitutional right to access public information. The officers provided a comprehensive overview of Act 989, clarified misconceptions, and addressed the practicalities of filing RTI requests in Ghana.

Mr. Samuel Agyemang Duah began by tracing the history of Ghana’s Right to Information legislation, highlighting its passage after nearly two decades of public advocacy and legal debate. “The Right to Information Act, 2019, is a landmark in Ghana’s democratic journey,” he said. “It gives every citizen the legal right to access official information held by public institutions, subject to certain exemptions that protect national interest and individual privacy.”

Mr. Duah further explained that the Act aligns with Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees the right to information as a fundamental human right. He emphasized that the law applies not only to ministries and municipal assemblies but also to quasi-government institutions and private entities that utilize public funds.