President Akufo-Addo’s decision to release the full KPMG report on the GRA-SML deal has been met with approval from Sulemana Braimah, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). Braimah commended the President for acknowledging his error in initially keeping the report confidential.
In a tweet, Braimah stated, “KPMG Report: The U-turn by the President isn’t surprising. It’s good they realised they were wrong in hiding behind exemptions to refuse our request. I urge the Presidency to try and have a better understanding of the exemptions provisions to avoid future U-turns.”
The President’s move to release the report came after receiving a request from MFWA under the Right to Information Act. The presidency explained that, although not obligated to share the report, President Akufo-Addo decided to do so in the interest of transparency and honesty with the public.
The KPMG report contains opinions, advice, and recommendations crucial to the President’s decision-making process, making it exempt under the RTI Act. Despite initially denying MFWA’s request for the report, the President had previously shared a detailed press statement outlining KPMG’s findings and his directives to the Ministry of Finance and GRA.
In light of this development, the President emphasized the importance of understanding the provisions of the RTI Act and respecting the safeguards in place to protect decision-making at the highest levels of government. Ultimately, President Akufo-Addo chose to waive the privilege under the RTI Act and directed the full publication of the KPMG report to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.
