On a humid morning in Accra, I imagine a journalist staring at her screen after sending yet another request for information on public records.
Despite having complied with the law, she is uncertain whether she will be granted access to the information or receive no response at all.
That image haunts me, because it captures a question I have wrestled with both professionally and personally for the past five years; Is the right to information in Ghana truly a right, or has it quietly become a privilege?
Having served as a Right to Information Officer since 2020, working within the framework of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), I have personally seen the promise of this law up close and its limitations in practice.
The passage of Act 989 was a defining moment in our democratic journey. It gave life to Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution and signaled a commitment to transparency, accountability, and citizen empowerment.
Every Ghanaian is told “you have the right to know”. The statute known as the Right to Information (RTI) law is powerful. It shifts the burden from the citizen to the public institutions.
The institution must justify why it cannot provide it; You do not need to justify why you want information. That principle alone is transformative.
However, after five years, experience tells a more complex story. I have encountered both sides of the system, the responsibility to facilitate access, and the structural obstacles that make access challenging.
Requests are received, but systems are not always ready. Records are not always well-organized. Some institutions are still figuring out what compliance actually means and in some instances, there is a persistent and lingering culture of hesitation around disclosure in certain situations.
Additionally, I have witnessed positive advancements. There is a steady rise in awareness. RTI desks are being set up by institutions. Transparency is becoming more widely acknowledged as a necessity.
Sanctions and other enforcement measures against noncompliant organisations are starting to make it very evident that the law must be obeyed. The media, too, has played a critical role, using the law to hold institutions accountable and has also been instrumental in maintain system responsiveness.
Beyond these gains, one question remains central to me: Can the ordinary Ghanaian easily access information without frustration or fear? For many, the answer is still no. We must be honest, passing the law did not automatically change the culture.
If a citizen must make repeated visits, face delays, or feel intimidated simply for asking questions, then the experience of that “right” becomes unequal. It begins to favor those who are informed, persistent, or professionally equipped to navigate the system.
Another area that continues to concern me is proactive disclosure. The law does not only require us to respond to requests but anticipates that institutions will make key information available without being asked.
The proactive, routine disclosure of information on budgets, contracts and reports are a fundamental pillar of transparency and accountability as a matter of course and ensures that stakeholders and the public hold institutions accountable.
So, five years after Act 989, my position is this. The right to information in Ghana exists. It is legally grounded. It is enforceable and is increasingly being used, but its full realization is still a work in progress.
For those who are persistent and informed, the law is becoming a powerful tool, but for the average citizen, access is not yet seamless enough to feel like a guaranteed right.
As someone who has worked within this system since 2020, I believe the way forward is clear. We must continue to strengthen compliance, invest in systems and training, and most importantly, shift mindsets from concealment to service.
Because ultimately, information does not belong to institutions. It belongs to the people, and it is their right to know. And until every Ghanaian can access it with ease and dignity, we must keep pushing so that the right to information is fully realised in practice rather than only being enshrined in legislation.
By Rufina Dimboey Pwawuvi
The writer is a Strategic Public Relations Expert
Email: [email protected]
