A gory accident occurred this dawn around 3:45 am at Awoshie in the Ablekuma North Constituency claiming about 13 lives. This was following a collision between their public transport and an abandoned truck at Banyard intersection in Awoshie in Accra. The red passenger vehicle, registered as GW 6302-21, collided with an unattended truck bearing registration number GB 8896-21 and the brand inscription “Everpure.” Eyewitness account has it that the driver of a red Toyota Haice bumped into a stationary KIA Rhino Truck loaded with bags of sachet water which has been left parked in the middle of the road due to mechanical fault. The dead all-women except the driver, mate and a few others were believed to be heading to Accra from Ablekuma. The absence of traffic lights and street lights along the main Awoshie Pokuase Highway has been a long-standing issue which has bothered the good people of Awoshie. All attempts to reach out to those in authority have always been an exercise in futility. When residents rise up and demonstrate, they are met with brute force from the police and sometimes arrested. Residents have therefore called on the Assembly Member for the Awoshie electoral area, the MCE and the Outgoing MP Honorable Shiela Bartels to quickly come to their aid by fixing the street lights and getting the traffic lights to work. “For how long will you look on while our people die? The time has come for the good people of Awoshie to come together and stage a mammoth demonstration against those in charge. It is time to hold them accountable,” a resident said. Credit: Thinknewsroom

The Tema TDC Development Company Limited (TDC) has denied any involvement in the sale of the Tema Children’s Park to a foreign company to build casino. According to TDC, the children park is a facility owned and managed by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA). This comes after some residents of Tema have expressed their strong opposition to the sale of the Children’s Park to a foreign company for commercial activities including the building of a casino. The said foreign company is believed to be a Chinese concern. The park, which is the only one in the surrounding area, has reportedly been sold to a Chinese company in building a casino. The residents are calling for an investigation into the sale, and are accusing the government of prioritizing the interests of foreign investors over the well-being of the local community. Speaking to DGN Online on the matter, Ian Okwei, the Protocol Officer of TDC stated thatsomewhere in 2013, his outfit handed over the land to TMA upon request. According to him, the Assembly later sub-leased the recreational facility to W.B. Impex Limited, a private company for unknown purpose. He pointed out that TDC have no hand in the sale of the land since the land does not belong to the company. However, residents have challenged this explanation and remain skeptical of the Assembly’s decision. They argue that the lack of transparency around the sub-lease and sale of land suggests that government officials are not acting in the best interests of the community. Some residents have also expressed concern about the impact of the casino on the local area, and are worried that it will attract dubious elements and contribute to an increase in crime. The issue has become a source of tension between the government and local residents, with many people calling for a thorough investigation into the sale of the park. Despite the promises of the TMA that the land will revert back to them after the sub-lease period, residents say they will continue to fight to ensure that the park remains a place of leisure and recreation for children, rather than a site for gambling and entertainment for adults. This was confirmed by the legal officer of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Emmanuel Avenorgbo who told a media outlet that the assembly had only sub-leased the park to a Chinese company for development into a recreational facility to serve residents and tourists to Tema. That decision, he said, was taken by the assembly and not an individual, saying that the recreational facility would revert back to the assembly after the expiration of the lease period. Mr Avenorgbo explained that the decision was taken on the floor of the assembly. According to him, the lack of funds to develop it and provide adequate facilities for the park made the assembly take the decision to lease it. He said documentation and details of the lease had all been prepared in the name of the assembly. He noted that organisations, including VALCO and Zonta, had made similar approaches in the past to redevelop the park but failed to do so. Mr Avenorgbo was of the view that once it was lying fallow, it would be appropriate to lease it after which the assembly would take over. Credit: Daily Guide Network

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and the World Bank’s Ghana Energy Sector Transformation Initiative Project (GESTIP), a stakeholder engagement exercise took place over the weekend at the Accra Metropolitan Authority. The event, which drew in various energy sector agencies, religious bodies, civil society organisations, professional bodies and tradesmen and women, among others, aimed at updating stakeholders on some of the gains under GESTIP, which is funded by the World Bank through several presentations with a discussion segment. Setting out the background to the project, its coordinator, Ing James Demitrus, noted that over the years, Ghana’s energy sector has faced some challenges over the years , including gas supply shortages; high payments for installed capacity to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), high distribution losses and low revenue collections by ECG among others. "Ghana has implemented a wide range of power sector reforms, including unbundling its power sector and attracting private investment through independent power producers (IPPs) to improve supply of electricity”, he noted. GESTIP, Ing Demitrus further stated, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the power sector to implement sector reforms and improve energy sector planning and coordination in Ghana. According to the project coordinator, in the lifetime of GESTIP, 46 consultancy activities have been undertaken to resource the beneficiary institutions with the required knowledge and information to further improve their effectiveness and efficiency. Further, the necessary software and hardware tools have been procured for some of the beneficiary institutions to improve the efficiency of the agencies. He also disclosed that 142 energy sector staff have been trained in technical fields as well as project management to build their capacity to implement the reforms in the sector. Beneficiaries of the $20m project, which became effective in February 2019 and will close on 31 December 2023, include the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Energy Commission (EC), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Northern Electricity Development Company (NEDCO), Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Ministry of Energy. A similar stakeholder engagement event is slated to take place at the University for Development Studies, Tamale, on Friday 22nd December 2023. Story by: Baba Taufic

Public Relations Department of the Ghana Prisons Service have sensitised pupils of the Rangoon Junior High, Cantonments on effects of crimes as part of its youth and crime campaign. According to the Public Relations Department, it commenced the campaign in June 2023 and is expected to conclude in March 2024. In an exclusive interview with Thinknewsonline, DSP Samuel Kofi Opoku said "This is a project being embarked by the Public Relations Department of the Ghana Prisons Service and our strategic campaign activity in 2023. We vean in July and we aim to sensitize or create awareness amongst the youth" "We arw targeting youth groups in churches, youth organisations, market places, lorry parks, JHS and SHS schools not only in the La Dadekotopon or the Ledzkuku Municipalities but also byt Greater Accra Regions" He also mentioned that the Public Relations Department of the Ghana Prisons Service will also be targeting other regiona in t country to educate youth on the need to shy away from crimes. "So far it has been good and what really generated this is considering the rate at which crimes are increasing and when you go to our senior correctional centre, crime among the youth is really increasing" "We have young boys as young as 14 and 15 year involving in murder, manslaughter, robbery. We thought it wise as a unit that we have to catch them young. We have to hit the grounds with the juveniles so thag we talk to them, create awareness an sensitize them on crime; its causes an consequences so that the juveniles in JHS and SHS will desist from crime." "We have been doingthis for the past four months and we hope to end it in March 2024. By then we would have covered most of out targets in JHS, SHS, Tertiary, churches and mosques" "This initiative should not have been taken up by any institution. It shoul not have been now. But as it is said, bette late than never" He cited money ritual, cyber crimes among others as areas most youth are venturing into which are He added that the Prisons Service will be looking at engaging persons living in the slums an ghettos in order to curb or reduce the rate of crime in cities and communities. He advised the youth to stay away from drugs andbe of goo behaviours to avoid being arrested, killed or harme as a result of crimes. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Former President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his point to the newly-elected Assembly and Unit Committee Members that if he is voted as the President of Ghana in 2024, he will begin paying allowances to all of them to help them carry out their duties. Together, with the assembly members, he said, they will build Ghana's economy and make them work 24 hours to generate well-paying jobs, Mr Mahama congratulated for being elected during the Tuesday, December 19 district-level elections. He reminded them that they have a responsibility to contribute and ensure that Ghana gets its decentralisation right. “I exercised my civic responsibility as a Ghanaian by voting in Tuesday's district-level elections at the Bole District Assembly polling station. Congratulations to all who participated in the exercise. And to our newly elected Assembly Members across the country, let me remind you that we all have a responsibility to contribute and ensure that we get our decentralisation right. I remain committed, when voted as the President of Ghana in 2024, to begin paying allowances to all Assembly Members to help them carry out their duties" Together, we shall build our local economies and make them work 24 hours to generate well-paying jobs,” the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) wrote on his X platform on Wednesday, December 20. Mr Mahama also suggested that assembly members should be paid an allowance. This in his view will increase the interest in their elections because they will become more competitive. Mr Mahama further suggested to the Commission to advertise the district-level elections the way it does for presidential and parliamentary polls. This, in his view, will get more people aware of, and interested in the district assembly elections. Asked what could be done to raise the interest of Ghanaians in the district assembly elections after casting his ballot in the ongoing elections in his electoral area in Bamboi, on Tuesday, December 19, he said “There is a lot more communication with the presidential and parliamentary elections. Those elections attract a lot more interest than the assembly elections. The assembly elections, traditionally,  since we started the district assembly have always had a lower turnout than presidential and parliamentary elections" “But I do think that if we communicate and advertise those elections further and if we make our decentralization deeper and put more resources into it, it will make people more interested in it. For instance, if we start paying assembly members an allowance it is going to increase interest in those elections, I think it will be a keener contest  than they currently are.” Mr Mahama told the Electoral Commission (EC) to organize itself well to avoid the technical challenges witnessed in some electoral areas in the ongoing district-level elections from happening in the 2024 general elections. He says the national elections, the presidential and parliamentary polls, are more emotive hence the commission must do well to prevent the technical hitches from happening. Speaking to journalists after casting his ballot in the ongoing district-level elections in Bole on Tuesday, December 19, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said “Unfortunately I hear there are glitches in many places. It is my hope that the EC  will get its acts together because we know that national, presidential, and parliamentary s are more emotive, and if people go to the polls on 7th December 2024 and some of these glitches occur it will lead to a lot of chaos and so the EC has to get its acts together.” The commission has rescheduled the district-level elections in some Electoral areas in the Eastern Region to Thursday, December 21. This is due to a number of technical challenges encountered at the start of voting on Tuesday, December 19. The commission assured votes in the affected areas that they will cast their ballots on the new date. The commission urged all Ghanaians to fully participate in the exercise. Addressing the press in Accra on Monday, December 18, the Chair of the Commission Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa said “Experience over the years shows that this election is not highly participated in. Let us make this election meaningful. “We are all aware that developments start at the district level and therefore it is important that as citizens, we have a say and a stake in who brings development to our various districts.” The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Dan Botwe, also made a similar appeal to Ghanaians. “We know the turnout for district-level elections in the country in previous years has been extremely low, but we are targeting at least 50 percent turnout this time around and we want all, irrespective of party affiliation, to go to the polls in their numbers on the day to cast their ballot,” he told TV3. Credit: 3news

The Ministry of the Interior as part of measures to sensitize the public on its services as well as afford opportunities to its stakeholders to streamline their operations, is embarking on a nationwide monitoring exercise with particular emphasis on Private Security Organizations, Locksmiths (Key Cutting) and Rubber Stamp and Seals Operators from Wednesday, December 20, 2023. Accordng to the Interior Ministry the move is to conduct a nationwide monitoring exercise by officials of the Ministry in conjunction with the Ghana Police Service, is critical to ensure compliance to the Laws which constitutes the legal basis of the services rendered by the Ministry. In a communique signed by the Acting Chief Director, Doreen P. Annan, she said "The monitoring exercise would facilitate the streamlining of operations of players within the sector and allow the Ministry gather comprehensive data to aid informed decision making" "Also, it will provide an avenue for the Ministry to interface with new and existing clientele and the general public" "In addition, the Ministry would be expanding its publication of Service Providers in Good Standing on its website to include the National dailies and its Social Media handles. This would go a long way to sanitize the operations of the service providers and improve the security consciousness of the general public" The Ministry hinted that it is mandated to ensure internal security in the country. "We remain committed to guaranteeing that there is law and order, peace and security to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and boost the economy of Ghana" "Accordingly, all players within the sector are advised to register or renew their licenses to regularize their operations with the Ministry to avoid sanctions" Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Management of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), have clarified that allegations leveled against it by The Fourth Estate via its documentary represents a set of misrepresentations, false claims, and a general lack of understanding on the entire operations of the company. According to the company, it challenging The Fourth Estate to produce any contract anywhere that is for a 10-year period. In communique issue by its PR Unit, it said "The 5th PPA Board at its 46th Board meeting in a letter referenced PPA/CEO/09/2286/23 approved a contract duration of five (5) years" "Again, it’s not true that SML takes $100 million annually from its contract. The contract, which is yet to be operationalized, per their projections leads them to that claim. The Upstream operations of the company have not yet begun, and no revenue has been realized. No monies have been paid to SML; the $100 million per year payment to SML that has been alleged is purely a figment of the author’s imagination and not factual" The communique further explained that SML’s engagements with GRA are solely a risk reward contract. "GRA invests nothing in the entire investment chain. There is no cost commitment from the GRA. SML is not exempted from the payment of duties and taxes. Again 31% of SML’s would be monthly earnings goes to GRA as taxes per the law. A good-intentioned and professional investigation would have established SML’s investments cost and compared to its earnings to make an informed position" "Again, we challenge him to produce any evidence of wrongdoing in this contract arrangement" The company further explained that its charging formula are standard in the industry and same are being used by other service providers in the industry. It further noted that SML’s work forms the base data at the depots for revenue assurance and auditing. "They declare the base volumes upon which any gap or deficit in the eventual volumes declared will expose those in the chain" "The downstream petroleum sector's reported figures have significantly increased because of SML over the time; from an average of 350 million liters per month in 2018 and 2019, to 450 million liters per month as of June 2020. This indicates a rise of more than thirtythree percent (33%) in volume reporting, and an average of an extra 100 million litres per month which translates into revenue. Revenue solutions, our business!!!" "A careful scrutiny of the work of NPA in terms of taking account and reporting the transactions using ERDMS within the downstream petroleum sector would show that it was not adequate and suited in giving revenue assurance to GRA" It hinted that the NPA system was designed for its operations and was not suited for providing revenue assurance for tax purposes. "This system additionally assures Customs that no loading activities occur in the depot in their absence. The installed metering system is designed to detect and record the movement of petroleum products at the depots" "By utilizing this, the GRA can calculate the overall quantity of petroleum products in depots nationwide to gauge revenue, provide Customs with data for reconciliation, and facilitate the tracking of oil movements during inter-depot and inter-tank transfers. Moreover, it aids in identifying leaks and notification of overfills" The statesment stressed that SML takes pride in its committed and highly skilled technical team, whose combined expertise propels our success in delivering innovative solutions. "The team's expertise spans across petroleum engineering, process engineering, IT System Engineering, Cybersecurity Engineering, instrumentation, and controls, as well as Electrical and Mechanical Engineering" Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Commander of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Lt Gen JH Smith has passed on. He was 78 years old. Family sources say he died Tuesday morning, December 19, 2023 after a short illness. A terse statement issued by his younger brother, Ambassador Victor Smith said, “Funeral arrangements, according to muslim tradition, will be announced as soon as possible.” The late Lt Gen JH Smith was also a former Minister of Defence during President John Atta Mills‘ term of office from 2009 to 2013 as well as former Ghana's Ambassador to the United States under the John Mahama administration. Biography Joseph Henry Smith was born on 9 January 1945 in Takoradi. Studied at the Achimota School in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana between 1959 and 1963 where he completed the West African School Certificate. He enrolled as an officer cadet at the Ghana Military Academy. He was commissioned 2/Lt on 16th October, 1965 into the Ghana Army Engineer Corps. He rose through the ranks and became the Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School at Teshie, Accra in 1993. From 1993 to 1996, he was the Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade Group (now known as the Northern Command) with headquarters at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. While in this position, he was appointed Special Task Force Commander to restore law and order in Northern Ghana between January and September 1994 during the Konkomba and Nanumba conflict. In 1996, Smith served as the Company Commander of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Egypt. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ghana Army in 1996 by President Jerry Rawlings. He held this position till 2001. Smith is the only Army Commander to have commanded three formations including two Infantry Brigade Groups. He retired from the military in February 2009 after 39 years. The late Smith had five children. He was married to Douha Smith. – Wikipedia

A Policy Analyst with Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Roselyn Mawufemor Fiagbe says Ghana cannot switch to clean cooking if it fails to put in place all the necessary strategies which will foster a smooth transition in the Energy sector. She made these remarks while speaking at the Ghana Energy Sector Transformation Initiative Project (GESTIP) citizen engagement meeting held in Accra on Friday. She said “On NPA’s CRM Agenda, she said “If we want to move into clean cooking, then we have to put in all the strategies in place and looking at the LPG, that has to do with the use meters at homes; it means it is not going to be accessible to everyone whereby moving into clean cooking, we are saying that it should be accessible to all” “So if you are not able to fill your cylinder to GHc300 or GHc400, then it means you will be eft out” “They also mentioned that one can afford what he or she can afford. If one purchases GHc10 or GHc20 LPG, what can it cook?” “The regulations they are talking about is not well defined and not going to favour all. That limitation is still going to be there, then that means that the clean cooking that we want to access, cannot be achieved. We have to relook at the component of the CRM that they are talking about. Some of the cooking stoves that they displayed, they were not to clear t the audience. They tried to explain the different types of cooking stoves but they were not too clear.” “If we are talking about clean cooking, those stoves cannot be used for LPG. If we are looking at the bigger picture, we must look at the angle at which, it c9⁹an benefit everyone not just a portion of the population. It needs to benefit everyone and we must work on this clean cooking very well. I think NPA has to still do their study and also sensitization very well to the understanding of the general population” “They have to do detailed work, more research, pro and cons of this CRM thing. Not that we want to move into clean cooking so they just portray it to the public like that without really defining what the objectives of the project are” On the side of the ECG stolen meters, she added that there should be a mechanized system that would block the use of any stolen meter from one location to another. On their part, Experts from various Institutions under the Energy Sector underscored the need for the general public to embrace clean cooking. They further explained that clean cooking will not cause danger to the environment. Explaining the e-billing system; Manager, Network Planning and Development at NEDCo, Saed Tampori said “The essence of this was to support NEDCo define an action plan that will improve its revenue cycle” “The scope was first to analyze our operation, revenue collection, identify gaps and address some action plans. “We have to improve or install smart metering systems. We have also implemented loss monitoring team which regularly follows up, monitor the meter and ensure that customers are not bypassing the meters and are paying for the yet” The citizen engagement meeting which was organised by the Ministry of Energy sought to strengthen the capacity of the Energy sector to implement sector reforms and improve energy sector planing as well as coordination. The engagement brought under one umbrella some industry players in the field of Enery among others and a section of the general public. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Her Ladyship, Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, a Justice of the Supreme Court has made a passionate appeal to the general public not to shy away from seeking the face of God through prayers. According to her, let no one create the impression that prayers do not work. She made these remarks while speaking at the annual thanksgiving ’Aforebo kese3’ of the Aglow International at the Black Star Square in Accra on Saturday. She said "I grew up in Aglow and my spiritual growth came from Aglow. I am here as a child and leader in Aglow. Women gather here every third Saturday of the month to pray for the nation. The intention is to ensure that the hand of the Lord remains on our nation" "We bring the issues of the nation to the Lord through this way. Let no one give you the impression that prayers does not work" "This year, Ghana has experience horrible situations such as floods. It came against many communities and we all went through us with them. What we found out was that not even one life was lost" "When it became tough, it was on this same grounds that we came and prayed to God to moderate the rains and he did. I know that there will be a restoration for the people and communities affected" Black Star Square, Holy Grounds Touching on why Ghana's Black Star Square is a holy land, she said "Let us ask ourselves, what is the history of the Independence Square? The Independence Square was built to commemorate the independence of Ghana as a new nation and to promote the values and self-reliance. It was completed in 1961 and has served as an inspiration for other countries on the African continent seeking independence from colonial rule" "The Black Star Square has become a blessed place meant for the celebration of events. If we are disciples of Jesus and then it is imperative that we experience the walk and focus declared. There is a reason for the anointing we receive on this altar every month. "It is to bring us out of oppression, and make us reflect the glory of God. We must go beyond ourselves in other to become blessings to the nation and others. "The anointing came for us to be real nation builders, persons that God has sent out to build his nation in every area. We must rebuild our nation in every area (In markets, offices, schools and institutions). The Chief Justice also cited fire outbreaks and floods as other challenges that affected Ghana in 2023. "We have seen fire destroy homes and offices" "However it is common knowledge that we are building on what ways or places of flooding and unfortunately those who should regulate us find it difficult to regulate people" She charged the public to make up their minds and obey the laws of the land. "When we are told not to build, farm or do galamsey, for the sake of our children, nation and well-being, let us ensure that we do not do it" "When you buy a land, compel the person who sold it to you to give you a site plan, sign an agreements before giving out monies" "Conduct a search to know if the land belongs to a clan or family or a stool before buying it" Celebrated Ghanaian Gospel Musician, MOG thrilled the gathering with good music. Other high profiled personalities also graced the Annal Aglow Aforebo kese3 celebration. Background Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo was sworn into office as the 15th Chief Justice of Ghana on 12 June 2023, by President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku Mantey has appealed to Ghanaian Musicians and DJs to resolve their differences and help each other in promoting Ghanaian Music before, during and after this year's yuletide. He made these remarks while addressing the media in Accra on Thursday. Speaking at the press briefing, Mr. Mantey said "You need eachother. The DJs and Artists should smoke the piece piepe. The DJs and Artists must respect each other" Mr. Mantey underscored the importance of collaboration among artists and music producers. He warned that without such unity, Ghana risked succumbing to the constant influx of foreign music. On her part, Director of the Creative Arts Agency, Gyankromah Akufo-Addo was bent on garnering support for local music and legislation favoring the broadcasting of local content. "Today marks the day that we are pledging to push Ghanaian music to the forefront of our audiences, starting at home. The Creative Arts Agency will collaborate with stakeholders and players in the music, film, and broadcasting industries to review our local content regulations." She stressed on the need for amendments to both the cultural policy and the broadcasting bill, taking inspiration from Nigeria's 70% local content law across music, film, and broadcasting. Smallgod-Nana Appiasei expressed concern over the decline of Ghanaian music and urged intentional efforts to elevate local content to regional standards. He said the campaign if taken seriously would not only bolster the festive atmosphere with local sounds but also pave the way for a more robust and sustainable future for Ghanaian music on the global stage. High-profile dignitaries and prominent Ghanaian artists, such as Samini, Reggie Rockstone, Black Sherrif, DJ Mensah, D-black among others charged all to do away with blame games and called for support for local music before, during and after the yuletide. Former Manager of Music duo, R2Bees, Gome underscored the need for DJs among others to promote local music during the festive season. He stressed that little or less airplay of Ghanaian songs this yuletide will not help project the industry to investors. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the enactment of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) in Ghana has been rightly considered as a watershed moment in the history of its democracy. The Minister made these while apeaking at a public forun on implementation of RTI Act 2019-2023. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said "The law has become one of Ghana's most important laws, as it sets an unprecedented framework that gives all persons the potent weapon to seek and receive information held by public institutions which had hitherto remained suppressed in the dusty files of bureaucrats under the garb of official secrecy and confidentiality" "As we gather here, we are not just reflecting on a mere piece of legislation; we are examining a pivotal stride toward a more accountable and democratic Ghana. The Right to Information Act, born from the collaborative efforts of policymakers, civil society, and citizens, signifies our commitment to fostering a culture of transparency and access to information" Touching on the research, he revealed that in the last quarter of 2022, the Ministry of Information commissioned research to document the processes leading to the passage, implementation, and enforcement of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989) in Ghana. "The study examined the operational strategies adopted for the smooth implementation of the RTI Law, identified the major roles of civil society organisations and other stakeholders in the implementation process of the law, and finally we faced and continue to face in the implementation of the right to information law in Ghana" He also hinted that the primary technique of inquiry was in-depth interviews. "Using a purposive sampling technique, individuals from different stakeholder groups and public institutions who were involved in the implementation of the RTI Act, 2019 (ACT 989) were identified and interviewed. The institutions include the Parliament of Ghana, the Ministry of Information, the Right to Information Commission, Civil Society Organizations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). In all, 14 respondents were interviewed for the study" "The study also relied on secondary data available in the public institutions that led to the implementation of the Act in 2020. These include letters, roadmap reports, annual reports, training reports, and mystery shopping stress test results, among others. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis, where data collected was coded into thematic categories. Thick descriptions were given to the processes involved in the implementation of the Act and reported outcomes were themed for analysis" Stressing on the passage of RTI in Ghana; he said "Political Will. Several factors led to the passage of the RTI law in Ghana. It must be noted that these factors often overlap. For this reason, it remains extremely complex to assess the weight of one dimension compared to another. The first factor identified here was political will and commitment. The political administration in 2019 was determined to have the bill passed into law. The RTI bill, which had been in and out of parliament for two decades was reintroduced to parliament under a certificate of urgency" "The second factor refers to the increasing public protests and advocacy of a sophisticated network of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with a strong interest in transparency and accountability, like the CSO Coalition on RTI (known as RTI Coalition). For instance, the RTI Coalition embarked on public awareness campaigns, media engagements, lobbying, research and advocacy activities, persisting and modifying its strategies along the way to suit the conditions of each period during the struggle for an effective RTI law (CHRI, 2019). The Coalition also organized a series of news conferences, workshops and strategic meetings across the country, and leveraged the significance of 28th September each year (Right to Know Day). Civil Society, Media and other stakeholders have played significant roles in the passage and implementation of the RTI Act (ACT 989). Their role can be recounted to the twenty years leading to the passage of the Law. Indeed, “the bill itself was crafted by civil society organisations.” One the implementation phase of the RTI, he said "Deferment clause: Peculiar to the RTI Act, 2019 is a deferment clause which meant that though it was assented to by the President in 2019, its application began in the ensuing financial year, i.e. January 2020. This significant provision meant that the implementation of the law could not commence immediately after presidential assent in May 2019. The transition period allowed the implementing Ministry to put in place institutional arrangements for a smooth take-off" He also explaine that the Ministry of Information conducted a series of consultations with various stakeholders on the implementation of the Right to Information Act (RTI) law in Ghana. "A roadmap was developed to ensure the smooth operationalization of the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) after extensive engagements with key stakeholders" "The roadmap identified key activities and responsible agencies for the implementation, including setting up a committee at the Ministry with representatives from the RTI Coalition, PRAAD, OHCS, and other stakeholders. The roadmap also identified timelines for various activities and allowed for easy assessment of milestones. Key activities in the roadmap were the implementation budget for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years, aligning PRAAD to service records departments, setting up an ATI Division under the Information Services Department, and appointing members of the Governing Board for the RTI Commission" Touching on deployment of Information Officers, he said "In showing fidelity to the implementation roadmap, the Ministry of Information through the ATI Division requested all Chief Directors and Heads of Local Government and Civil Services, respectively to nominate an officer as a Designated RTI officer and a records officer, both to assist in the processing of RTI requests. In all, Nine Hundred and fifty-six (956) officers were designated from 478 public institutions in 2020" "In addition, the Ministry of Information, with the assistance of the Head of Civil Service recruited one hundred (100) RTI Officers comprising five principal information officers and 94 assistant information officers who were deployed to various public institutions as RTI officers. By the close of the year 2022 three hundred and fifty (350) had been recruited and posted to various public institutions. One Hundred and Eighty-Seven (187) of them have been posted to MMDAs, Sixty-six (66) to SIGA institutions and Ninety-seven (97) to MDAs across all the sixteen regions" On capacity building, he noted that the Ministry of Information was aimed to build the capacity of frontline officers and other officers involved in the implementation of the RTI law. "Training of designated information and records officers began in March 2020 but was disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak and resumed in July 2020 via a virtual platform. The training process involved face-to-face engagement with various institutions from the MDAs to the MMDAs. The importance of training officers is a key component in the implementation of the law. There is a need to explain nuances in the Act, such as classes of information classified as exempt from disclosure. International organizations and Civil Society Organizations have also undertaken some form of training" Mr. Nkrumah noted that the successful implementation of the RTI law in Ghana partly depends on the demand for access to information by individuals, institutions, or groups. "In accordance with Section 1 of Act 989, a person is the one who has the right to information and may apply for access to that information. It is important for citizens to understand that in some limited circumstances, as outlined in sections 5 to 16 of Act 989, public institutions have a right, to exempt some classes of information from access under this Act. The RTI Commission, however, as an independent and impartial body, has also been resourced to deal with any unwarranted denials by public institutions" "In the first year of implementation, eighty-five (85) requests for information were recorded and processed across all public institutions, but the number increased to one hundred and eighty-nine (189) requests in 2021. In 2022, public institutions received and processed Seven hundred and eighty-three (783) applications. Information officers interviewed attributed the low number of applications to a lack of information and understanding of the application processes by the public. They also noted that applicants often made improper requests, suggesting they do not understand and interpret certain provisions of the law well" "The Right to Information Act 2019 (Act 989) mandates the establishment of an independent body to promote, monitor, protect, and enforce the right to information. In October 2020, the President inaugurated the Governing Board of the Right to Information Commission, which has since recruited 120 staff to perform various responsibilities" He revealed that since its establishment, the RTI Commission successfully secured an Executive Instrument conferring on it, prosecutorial powers in accordance with section 56 of Act 30 and Article 88(4) of the 1992 Constitution. This, he said, served as a measure to help strengthen enforcement undertaken by the Commission. "The Commission's independence, he hinted was guaranteed by Section 42 (1)(2) of the RTI Act, which states that it is not subject to the direction or control of any person or authority" "The Executive Secretary and Commissioners have worked to assert the Commission's independence, and the Commission operates in accordance with the law, ensuring that decisions are backed by the law" On the enforcement of the RTI LAW, he revealed that the research identified three different models for the institutional framework and enforcement of the RTI legislation. "These are enforcement through judicial proceedings, the information commission or tribunal, and the informational commissioner or ombudsman. Their frameworks are based on context and content" Touching on challenges confronted in the Implementation of the RTI, he saidd "Robust implementation of any public policy is difficult to achieve and may face a plethora of challenges" "The Legislative Instrument (L.I) is a crucial accompaniment to an Act, providing details about the nuances of the Act and facilitating its implementation. Without the L.I., certain aspects of the law can be difficult to implement. The absence of the L.I. can lead to challenges, such as the ambiguity in the law regarding the number of days for processing an initial information request. There is a statute requiring the accompanying legislative instruments to be presented to Parliament within twelve months after an Act has been passed into law" "Collaborative policy-making is crucial for establishing new networks among stakeholders and increasing knowledge distribution. Respondents advocated for a coordinated workforce from ATID, NCCE, ISD, and RTIC to create public awareness about the right to information. Through continuous public sensitization and education,  the law will protect and empower the people, while building strong, transparent and accountable public institutions" The importance of proper structures in maintaining focus and preserving the essence of the Right to Access Information (RTI) Law in Ghana cannot be emphasised, the Minister added. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith