Council Of State Directs RTI Applicant To Metro Tv For Info On Attendance

Ghana’s Council Of State has directed a Right To Information applicant to a private television station, Metro TV, for information on the attendance at the council’s meetings.

Describing the Accra-based television station as a “public institution”, the council referred the applicant to source from it.

According to the Council, the information being requested has already been given out to Metro TV.

“Please be informed that the information requested is readily available by another public institution, Metro Tv, who requested for the same on 8th June 2022 and have since put it into the public domain”, a letter to the RTI applicant said.

But Section 21 (a), (b), (c), and (d) of the Right to Information Act, 2019, Act 989, says “Where a public institution is unable to deal with an application because the information requested is not the in custody or control of the public institution, but to the knowledge of the public institution, it is held by another public institution or is in the custody of the public institution but it is more closely related to the functions of another public institution, the information officer shall, within two days of the receipt of the application, refer the applicant to the relevant public institution or transfer the application to the relevant public institution and give written notice of the transfer to the applicant”.

The applicant requested the information from the Council of State in a letter on June 10, 2022, after the host of Good Evening Ghana show on Metro Tv broadcasted that Togbe Afede XIV, a former council of state member attended only 39 of 242 Council of State meetings in 48 months.

This was contested by the Asogli Council over which Togbe Afede is a Paramount Chief.

It described as incorrect and misleading, the figures presented by the TV host.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini