In a determined move to champion transparency in Ghana’s public service, Joseph Osei Oppong Brenya, former Director of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovations Programme, has formally invoked the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989).
His requests, dispatched to various public institutions, seek detailed disclosures concerning presidential staffers and political appointees.
Referencing Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution, which affirms every citizen’s right to access information held by public authorities, Mr. Brenya has submitted a series of inquiries designed to promote openness and accountability. At the heart of his request is a call for the full disclosure of annual salaries and grade points for all presidential staffers and political appointees under the Office of the President, along with a comprehensive list of those holding such positions.
But his quest for answers goes further. Mr. Brenya is pressing for clarification on whether these appointees are eligible for ex gratia payments at the close of their four-year terms. He is also seeking details on the total ex gratia paid to Members of Parliament for the 2021–2025 period, as well as information on any percentage salary increases granted to political appointees in recent years.
The scope of his inquiry even extends to the appointment of Political Attachés to the Regional Coordinating Councils. He wants to know how many have been appointed, what roles they occupy, and how much they are being remunerated.
Now serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Anowuo Group, Mr. Brenya has publicly stated that his actions are grounded in the constitutional right of every Ghanaian to demand transparency in the stewardship of public resources.
The Right to Information Act, passed in 2019, stands as a powerful tool for citizens like Mr. Brenya, providing a legal avenue to access information from public institutions, so long as requests stay within the boundaries of the law’s stated exemptions. As the nation awaits the responses to these requests, the spotlight remains on Ghana’s commitment to transparency and the responsible management of public funds.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com