Prof Kingsley Moghalu (L) and former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta (R)
Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof Kingsley Moghalu, has shared a reflective account on the corrupting influence of power, a commentary that has drawn attention amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Ghana’s former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is currently in detention in the United States.
In a post published on LinkedIn on January 10, 2026, Prof Moghalu recounted a personal experience involving an unnamed African friend who, after attending his 50th birthday in Abuja, was later appointed a minister in his home country.
According to Moghalu, after the friend assumed office, repeated attempts to reach him on a professional matter were ignored, with calls unanswered and messages left unreplied.
He noted that similar complaints were raised by other mutual friends, many of whom felt the individual’s character had changed after gaining power.
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“An African friend attended my 50th birthday in Abuja from his country. A little while later he was appointed a minister in his country. Meanwhile I had completed my tenure as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and taken up a professorial appointment in a US university. I tried to reach him by phone on a professional matter but he did not pick my call.
“He did not respond to messages I sent. I was disappointed, but I also heard similar complaints from other mutual friends and acquaintances. Few could “recognize” our friend’s character and conduct anymore.
“A few years later his party lost the elections in his country and he was out of government. He came under investigation on allegations of corruption. His country reportedly sought to extradite him from a foreign country where he had apparently taken refuge.
“Recent reports are that his has now been arrested in that country on immigration charges. Charges or indictments, of course, do not automatically mean guilt unless and until established by the courts. But, lesson: vanity of vanities, all is vanity, “his post read.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, has confirmed that Ken Ofori-Atta has been taken into custody by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a press release issued on Friday, January 10, 2026, and signed by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, the Embassy said it received information about the detention and immediately took steps to verify the circumstances surrounding the matter.
Following confirmation, the Embassy formally contacted the detention facility to request access to Ofori-Atta in order to offer consular assistance in accordance with diplomatic and international protocols.
However, officials at the facility informed the Embassy that Ofori-Atta declined to engage with consular officers at that time, indicating he would only do so in the presence of his lawyers.
The Embassy said it remains in contact with relevant United States authorities and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that Ofori-Atta’s rights are fully respected.
In Ghana, Ofori-Atta has been charged with corruption and corruption-related offences in connection with the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) scandal. The Government of Ghana has formally requested his extradition from the United States to face the charges.
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has quoted a source close to Ofori-Atta as saying that as of July 2025, the former finance minister had no intention of returning to Ghana, citing fears of humiliation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Ofori-Atta’s lawyers have maintained that his arrest and detention by ICE are related to “the status of his current stay in the United States.”
However, Attorney General Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has disclosed that Ofori-Atta’s US visa was revoked in July 2025, and that the US Department of State granted him until November 29, 2025, to leave the country.
Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to appear before a United States court on January 20, 2026, in relation to his current arrest.
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