The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has directed the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to furnish it with information requested by JoyNews within 14 days.

JoyNews lodged an official appeal with the RTI Commission against SSNIT for their refusal to grant a Right to Information request regarding the sale of its stakes in several hotels.

In a detailed letter addressed to the Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission, the head of the Research Desk at JoyNews, Raymond Acquah, expressed discontent over SSNIT's rejection of an RTI request submitted on May 23, 2024.

He explained that the request was received in the Corporate Affairs office, inspected, and subsequently rejected by SSNIT with the excuse that it was addressed to a non-existent Information Officer.

JoyNews then took the view that the refusal, based on the claim that as a public institution, SSNIT does not have an information officer, constitutes a breach of the Right to Information Act, 2019.

The order, issued by the RTI Commission on July 5, 2024, instructed SSNIT to note that:
“The person to deal with an application for access to information is the information officer. Section 19 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) states that 'An application to access information shall be dealt with by the information officer of the Public Institution'.

"The Applicant, therefore, did not err when he applied to the information officer in the letter dated 20th May 2024, and as such, his application should not have been rejected.”

The Commission then directed SSNIT to furnish it with the information requested by JoyNews except minutes of the SSNIT board’s meetings on the sale of the hotels.

“Pursuant to the above-mentioned provisions, the commission hereby directs SSNIT to furnish it with the information requested by the Applicant except minutes of the board meetings, within fourteen (14) days upon receipt of this letter.”

JoyNews, on June 23, 2024, sought access to detailed information regarding SSNIT’s decision to divest 60% of its stake in six hotels in its investment portfolio.

The specific information requested included:

1. Copies of all minutes of all meetings of the board of SSNIT related to or concerning the status of the six hotels in question and the decision to find a strategic partner since 2017.
2. A list of all 15 firms which expressed interest in submitting bids to be transaction advisors, including the name, details, and criteria for the selection of the eventual winner of the bid.
3. A list of all nine companies that responded to the advertisements, copies of their submitted proposals, and a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) documents.
4. Copies of the financial proposals of all six shortlisted companies.
5. A copy of the technical and financial evaluation criteria and any other standards or minutes of meetings that settled on or selected Rock City Hotel as the best.
6. Copies of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) containing the proposed payment terms as proposed by the transaction advisor, including any variations to the MOU and proposed payment terms.
7. Proof or evidence of due diligence conducted and copies of these reports.