The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has launched a comprehensive sensitisation campaign for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to enlighten Director Generals and Directors on the Right to Information (RTI) Act on Tuesday, 13 August 2024, at the Command Officers' Mess, Burma Camp.

The Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations and Training at the General Headquarters, Major General Joseph Aphour, emphasized the campaign's significance in promoting transparency and accountability within the military institution. He added that it would also empower citizens to exercise their constitutional right to access information.

An official from the RTI Commission, Madam Benedicta Agyapomah Nunney, in her submission, said the RTI Act was passed in 2019 to give Ghanaians the legal right to request information from public institutions, including the Armed Forces. She also provided an overview of the law, outlining the requirements institutions must meet to assist prospective applicants in accessing information. This includes documenting accurate and authentic information, establishing an information unit headed by an Information Officer, and submitting an annual report to the commission.

A senior official of the commission, Mr. Raphael Osei Bonsu, in his presentation on exemptions and penalties, stated that no institution is exempted from the law; however, there are exceptions. These categories include information for the president, cabinet, and vice president, information affecting international relations, and information relating to law enforcement, among others.

The Director General for Legal Services, Brigadier General Charles Gbekle, said in his closing remarks that there have been several applications to solicit information from the military, but these requests often involve sensitive information that could impact state security. He further mentioned that all institutions operate under the law, and as such, the military is also subject to the RTI Act and will adhere to all its provisions.