The newly formed Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) committee by President-Elect John Mahama has come under severe scrutiny, with many questioning its legitimacy and purpose.
The committee, comprising Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as Chairman, Daniel Domelovo, COP (Rtd.) Nathan Kofi Boakye, Martin Kpebu, and Raymond Archer aim to recover the proceeds of corruption and hold individuals accountable.
However, the NPP has kicked against the formation of the committee, citing its lack of legal backing. Critics argue that the committee’s true agenda is to maliciously discredit individuals, destroy reputations, and divert attention from the NDC’s impending failure to deliver on campaign promises.
Previous Scandals Rocking Mahama’s Administration
This is not the first time Mahama’s administration has faced criticism for its handling of corruption.
In the past, Mahama’s government was embroiled in scandals, including the questionable Take or Pay Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) that resulted in Ghana incurring a staggering cost of $937.50 million between 2017 and 2020 for unused power.
Additionally, Mahama’s appointment of Justice Yaw Appau as a sole commissioner to investigate issues surrounding the payment of huge judgment debts by the state was widely criticized.
The move was seen as another debacle, with many questioning the committee’s effectiveness.
Controversy Surrounding ORAL Committee Members
Four out of the five ORAL committee members are from the Volta Region, raising concerns about the committee’s representation and impartiality.
Furthermore, the committee’s decision to work without salaries, allowances, or per diems has been met with skepticism, with many questioning their motivations.
NPP Reaction On Social Media
The NPP has also pointed out that the ORAL committee has no legal authority to summon individuals or seize property, unlike established institutions such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).
No Allowance
The Chairman of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced that the team will work without any form of payment.
He stated that members will not receive salaries, allowances, per diems, or fuel coupons to ensure their work imposes no cost on taxpayers.
In a statement shared on his social media wall on December 18th, 2024, Ablakwa wrote, “We shall not be receiving salaries, allowances, per diems, or fuel coupons. None of our activities will come at a cost to the taxpayer. Let’s do this for God and the country. Ghana First.”
Mahama Justification
Mr. Mahama said the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team that has been formed is not going to investigate anybody.
He explained that the team had been formed to receive or gather information about persons who have allegedly stolen from the state and pass on the information to the mandated state bodies for further action.
He said, “With regards to ORAL, I announced the preparatory committee, and people are confused. We are receiving a lot of information on things that are going wrong, corruption scandals and all that, some send me texts on my phones, some call me, others pass through other people. We want a focal point where all the evidence can be directed so that they can assemble the evidence once we come into office.
“ORAL is not going to be investigating people, it is going to gather evidence and pass on the evidence to the institutions that are supposed to do that kind of work. If people have information that they think is useful in the fight against corruption, pass it on to the team. The team is not exacting any payment, there is no budget associated with it.”
Experts Bashing
A Governance expert, Kwasi Yirenkyi, also said the formation of this committee is unnecessary because state institutions already possess the authority and resources to perform functions such as evidence gathering and prosecution.
According to him, “If you ask me, this team that has been formed is not needed; it is the same business as usual. To me, it appears to be a team created to appease party members and others who may have genuine concerns about how some officials have dipped their hands into state coffers”.
“But we already have state bodies like the Attorney-General’s Department, EOCO, CID, and NIB to do the work this team has been mandated to do”.
“The question is, the information and evidence that this team gathers—who will act on them? The EOCO, CID, or NIB will have to act because they are the ones with the legal authority to do so,” he told journalists in Accra on Wednesday, 18 December.
First Report
However, the team Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) on Friday, December 20, received the full dossier on the National Service ghost names scandal.
This was announced by the leader of the team, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Friday, December 20.
“We are extremely grateful to The Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa for the presentation and their exceptional patriotism.
Together, we shall reset Ghana and recover all loot,” he wrote on his X page.
-BY Daniel Bampoe