RTI Law: Don’t Intimidate Journalists When They Visit Your Office – RJA

A group calling itself the Root Journalist Association (RJA) has called on the government to intensify its education on the Right to Information (RTI) law to conscientise public officials to be very accommodating towards journalists who seek information on a particular matter.

The group raised a concern that some public institutions such as the Ghana Police Service, Health Services and other institutions are fond of withholding information and also intimidate journalists whenever they visit their offices for information.

Below is their statement

The Root Journalists Association is taking this opportunity to congratulate the President of the republic the Parliamentarians and other media coalitions who fought relentlessly for the passage and assents of the RTI law.

In view of this, we are also calling on the government to as soon as possible intensify education at public offices in order to enable the press have free flow information, as the laws suggest.

"There are some public offices like Police service, the health service and the education service who are always economizing important information , we believe this won't help the RTI law work effectively, therefore, the government should intensify its education to those 'anti- journalists' officers to release important and consumable information to the press, and even the general public ", the story narrated.

Though the bill has been assented, we will urge those offices to avoid intimidating the press, whenever they walk in for information.

"Some of these public officers are always restricting and intimidating journalists when they see them in their officers, which the RJA have keenly observed, this time we are drawing the attention of the government to ensure such officers are brought to book if they try to intimidate any journalist who go in for information, believing this will strengthen our democracy and the development of the nation.

Long live Ghana

Long live Mr. President

Long live RJA