Mahama, Finance Minister face RTI Commission over ex-gratia

President John Dramani Mahama, and the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, have been dragged before the Right To Information (RTI) Commission following allegations that they failed to respond to a formal RTI request concerning ex-gratia payments.

The request, submitted on 7 October 2025 by a Ghanaian journalist, sought detailed information on the determination of Article 71 emoluments covering the period 2021 to 2025, coinciding with the second term of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration.

Under Ghana’s Right To Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), public institutions are legally obligated to respond to such requests within 14 days.

However, nearly 60 days after submission, both the Presidency and the Ministry of Finance had not provided any response.

After the statutory 14-day period lapsed, the applicant filed an internal review request on 24 October 2025 under Section 32 of the RTI Act. As of Thursday, 4 December 2025, neither institution had responded to either the original request or the follow-up review application.

In the application to the RTI Commission, filed under Section 65(1) and 65(2) of the RTI Act, the journalist argued that the continued lack of response constitutes a refusal under the law.

The applicant accused both institutions of failing to comply with their statutory obligations and requested the Commission to intervene.

The Applicant respectfully submits this written application seeking review of the failure, refusal, neglect, or omission of two key public institutions, the Office of the President and the Ministry of Finance, to determine or respond to valid Right to Information (RTI) requests submitted on 7 October 2025, as well as subsequent applications for internal review submitted on 24 October 2025.

“Both institutions have failed to comply with their mandatory statutory obligations under Act 989, resulting in deemed refusals under section 23(5),” the application stated.

The applicant is seeking several reliefs from the Commission, including:

1. Compel Disclosure – Directing the Chief of Staff and the Minister for Finance to respond to the RTI requests and provide the requested information regarding Article 71 payments.

2. Declarations – Officially declaring that both institutions have breached Sections 23, 31, 32, and 33 of Act 989, as well as Article 21(1)(f) of the Constitution.

3. Administrative Penalties – Imposing sanctions on the Chief of Staff and the Finance Minister for willful neglect of statutory obligations, pursuant to Section 71 of Act 989.

4. Time-bound Order – Requiring that all requested information be provided within seven days of the Commission’s ruling.

In the concluding remarks of his application, the journalist emphasized that persistent non-compliance by two of Ghana’s most significant public institutions undermines transparency and public confidence in governance.

“In a democratic state, transparency, accountability, and openness are binding constitutional obligations, not optional virtues. The Office of the President and the Ministry of Finance must lead by example,” the applicant stated, urging the RTI Commission to assert its authority to uphold citizens’ right to information.

The RTI Commission is now tasked with determining whether the President and Finance Minister will be compelled to provide the requested details on Article 71 emoluments and whether penalties will be imposed for the alleged statutory violations.