“Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) cannot succeed when its implementers are engaged in Operation Clear All Looters (OCAL).”
In the dynamic landscape of the times, where the mission to reclaim what was once lost is pivotal, two thought-provoking social critics share their perspectives. Their insights navigate the complexities of this operation, shedding light on the societal implications and the urgent call for change.
Social critics – Citizen Akoto and Manasseh Azuri Awuni, are voicing concerns about the John Mahama administration’s establishment of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) in light of recent court acquittals of suspected National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters.
The two critics are dissatisfied that under the Mahama administration there is an emerging trend of releasing “those being tried” to go for “suspected criminals”.
According to Citizen Akoto, President John Dramani Mahama’s government seems to be ignoring the trust that the voters, who elected him as President of Ghana, placed in him. While we have overlooked the delay in appointing ministers within the promised 14 days, the recent decision to discontinue ongoing corruption cases has raised significant concerns.
He points out that President Mahama’s recent decision to instruct the Attorney General to withdraw several high-profile corruption cases, just a month into his term, has sparked controversy. This move contradicts his earlier criticism of the former administration’s handling of such cases.
He discloses that during the campaign, Mahama called the former president a “Clearing Agent” for dismissing corruption charges, a stance that resonated with many Ghanaians. However, Mahama’s current actions have led to accusations of hypocrisy.
Among the withdrawn cases Citizen Akoto said involve Johnson Asiamah, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the former CEO of COCOBOD.
“Please explain your actions so we can understand and support your decisions. Otherwise, the label “Clearing Agent” may stick—not on your predecessor, but to your own administration,” he pleads.
On his part Manasseh Azuri Awuni says “Ghanaians deserve to know the basis for the government’s mass discontinuation of court cases against officials and associates of the previous Mahama administration.”
According to Azure Awuni, it is a dangerous precedent for a president vowing to reset Ghana and prosecute government officials who have stolen or caused money to be stolen from the public purse.
He stressed that “if the government clears all its party people standing trial, the people whose power the government exercises must be given sound reasons. Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) cannot succeed when its implementers are engaged in Operation Clear All Looters (OCAL).”
To him, President Mahama’s message to the NPP officials is quite straightforward: if you are facing charges, delay the legal proceedings for as long as possible. If your party returns to power, the court process will be truncated, and you will be acquitted.
READ THE OPINIONS OF THE TWO SOCIAL CRITICS BELOW:
- 1. Citizen Akoto writes:
From Courtrooms to Closed Files: What Message Is President John Dramani Mahama Sending?
His Excellency John Dramani Mahama’s government appears to be disregarding the trust placed in it by the very voters who returned him as President of Ghana. While we have forgiven the delay in naming ministers within the promised 14 days, the recent discontinuation of ongoing corruption cases has raised serious concerns.
Many of these cases were actively being prosecuted by the previous government, with significant resources invested.
Now, under the current administration, the Attorney-General (AG) has abruptly halted these proceedings.
Many believe this decision was made at the President’s direction, but no clear explanation has been given to the public.
As citizens, we expected transparency from President Mahama, especially since one of his key campaign promises was to tackle corruption.
During the election, he criticized the previous administration for dismissing corruption charges against its officials, even labeling the former president as a “Clearing Agent.” This stance resonated with many Ghanaians, contributing significantly to his victory.
However, barely a month into office, President Mahama has instructed the AG to withdraw several high-profile cases, including:
The infamous Saglemi Housing Scandal , involving allegations of financial mismanagement.
The case against the former Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. Ernest Thompson, along with others, accused of financial impropriety.
The trial of the ex-Cocobod CEO, Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, and businessman Seidu Agongo, linked to massive losses for the nation.
These cases allegedly caused Ghana to lose billions of cedis. Their sudden dismissal without any stated reasons leaves the public questioning the government’s commitment to fighting corruption.
Ghanaians are now asking: If the President cannot hold his own party members accountable, how can he ensure accountability for others?
How can we trust his promise to investigate and prosecute corruption when he dismisses existing cases without explanation?
President Mahama recently set up a committee to gather evidence of corruption during the previous administration.
Yet, the discontinuation of these trials contradicts that effort.
It raises suspicions that the government may be protecting certain individuals or avoiding embarrassment.
We urge President Mahama to provide clear and convincing reasons for dropping these cases. Ghanaians deserve to know why millions—or perhaps billions—of taxpayer money tied to these scandals will not see justice. Without proper justification, this move undermines the fight against corruption and erodes public confidence in the government.
Mr. President, Ghanaians elected you to lead with integrity and transparency.
Please explain your actions so we can understand and support your decisions. Otherwise, the label “Clearing Agent” may stick—not on your predecessor, but to your own administration.
- 2. Manasseh Azuri Awuni Writes:
CHIEF CLEARING AGENT
Ghanaians deserve to know the basis for the government’s mass discontinuation of court cases against officials and associates of the previous Mahama administration.
A few of the cases, such as the prosecution of the Democracy Hub protesters, raised concerns among many Ghanaians. One may not be surprised that those charges are dropped.
A majority of the cases, however, border on corruption and charges of causing financial loss to the state. For a president vowing to reset Ghana and prosecute government officials who have stolen or caused money to be stolen from the public purse, the mass clearance is a wrong start. It’s a dangerous precedent.
What President Mahama is telling the NPP officials his administration will charge is very simple: if you are charged, drag the case as long as you can, and if your party comes into office, the court process will be truncated, and you will be set free.
This does not portend well for accountability. This dangerous precedent defeats Mahama’s resolve to fight corruption and defeats such future endeavours. For a president whose administration began the prosecution that resulted in the jailing of its own party people in the GYEEDA scandal, this is a new low and a faulty step.
The Attorney-General must not truncate prosecution just because he has the power to do so. That power belongs to Ghanaians and must be exercised in our interest.
The courts should be allowed to deal with the evidence and decide on the guilt or innocence of the persons charged. In some cases, the state lost vast sums of money, and we should have answers.
Even with the ambulance case, in which the persons charged were acquitted by the court, the state had lost money. That scandal was not fabricated, even if the wrong actors may have been targeted.
I produced a documentary on those ambulances (titled “Grounded Wheels” on YouTube), and I had no doubt the ambulance procurement was a scandal. I was surprised at the fixation on Jakpa and Ato Forson, while officials of the ministry that procured the ambulances and labelled them substandard after failing to inspect them before shipment were left untouched.
Had the procurement not been a scandal, the Mahama administration would not have moved the ambulances from the forecourt of the State House and hidden them at the Air Force Base in Burma Camp. People were dying for lack of ambulances, and the movement was to keep the problematic vehicles from the public eye. I entered and filmed the ambulances for my documentary, and some of the defects matched the inspection report that labeled them unfit for use as ambulances.
So, if the case in which the defendants were set free was an actual scandal, one can imagine the rest.
I nicknamed Akufo-Addo the Chief Clearing Agent, and Mahama seems to relish that title. Let us not forget that the persons Akufo-Addo cleared and publicly defended were not all clean. Pius Hadzide, for instance, who was cleared of his involvement in the Australia visa scandal, publicly confessed his role when he was campaigning to be the MP for Asuogyaman in the just-ended election.
If the government clears all its party people standing trial, the people whose power the government exercises must be given sound reasons. Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) cannot succeed when its implementers are engaged in Operation Clear All Looters (OCAL).
And we can do better than pick lessons from failing democracies like the United States.
Story: Kwabena Kyekyeku
