Today is set as a day of reckoning for Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as he faces accountability at the Government Accountability Series.
Scheduled for 10:30 A.M. at the Jubilee House, this session is part of the government’s commitment to transparency and open governance.
Okudzeto Ablakwa will be expected to account for Ghana’s standing in the international arena and address critical issues from the country’s foreign policy engagements.
He will also be expected to extensively brief the country about Ghana’s diplomatic relations, international cooperation, the country’s global image and the role of foreign policy in national development.
Additionally, Okudzeto will be expected to give an overview of President Mahama’s recent travels and provide additional information on how the travels have been beneficial to the country.
Above all, Ghanaians are anxious to learn from the minister how much the country has realised from the government’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL)
Although Ablakwa’s ministry is not responsible for handling issues related to ORAL, many are waiting to hear him discuss it, given his role as chairman of the ORAL committee.
When the ORAL Committee completed its work, a short ceremony was held for the president to receive the report formally.
Chairman of the Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who presented a summary of the findings, disclosed that the value of thirty-six (36) financial cases reviewed was estimated at $20.49 billion.
President Mahama to receive ORAL Committee report today
According to a summary of the report as presented by Ablakwa, the cost of land cases alone was estimated at $702.8 million.
President Mahama, upon receipt of the report, stated that “Ghana is no longer a haven for corruption. To those who stand for integrity, accountability, and the rule of law, I assure you that this government remains your steadfast partner in building a nation where honesty and hard work are rewarded.”
He subsequently handed the report to the Attorney General and Minister for Justice with a directive to immediately begin investigations into the committee’s findings.
However, the Attorney General and the government have maintained a loud silence on the report, which was supposed to recover purportedly stolen money from members of the erstwhile administration to develop the country.
The accountability session reflects the government’s renewed emphasis on transparency and governance.
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Will Ghana pass the Anti-Witchcraft Bill? Find out in the latest episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV in this conversation with Amnesty International:
