President John Dramani Mahama (R) with Joyce Bawah Mogtari
One of the main campaign promises of President John Dramani Mahama that won him more support in the 2024 presidential elections was his Operation Recover All the Loot (ORAL) policy.
After winning the election, President Mahama set up a ‘strong’ five-member committee, led by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to put measures in place to ensure that ORAL hits the ground running upon his resumption of office, which was well received by a faction of the public.
However, days after Mahama’s inauguration, there have been contradictory statements on the implementation of ORAL from the president himself and his close associates, leaving supporters of the policy confused about its fate.
Special aide to the president, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has stated that the work of Operation Recover All the Loot (ORAL) will end with the appointment of an Attorney General.
She noted that the work of the ORAL forms part of the government’s strategy to tackle corruption during the transition period.
“The work of ORAL will end with the appointment of the Attorney General. Its mandate is to prepare a comprehensive report as part of the transition process. The NDC’s anti-corruption plan also includes re-evaluating the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
“We are examining whether to retain or reform the OSP. Mr Mahama has emphasised the need to strengthen all governance institutions to fight corruption effectively,” she is quoted to have said by starrfm.com.gh in an interview with Serwaa Amihere on GHOne TV.
Hours after Bawah Mogtari’s remarks, her boss also made a different statement on the ORAL policy.
Speaking at the 92nd annual National Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Winneba on Thursday, January 9, 2024, President Mahama listed ORAL as one of the anti-corruption initiatives his government would implement.
He indicated that ORAL was going to be operationalized to help in the country’s fight against corruption.
“Amir, Chairman, my brothers and sisters, good governance is the foundation upon which a nation’s progress rests. In this light, transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership will define this administration. We shall pass a code of conduct for our officeholders, and they will strictly abide by that code of conduct.
“We shall carry out comprehensive audits in order to establish what the situation of our state-owned enterprises and parastatals is. We shall operationalise the Operation Recover All the Loot and investigate persons we believe have engaged in misappropriation of public property and pursue them to recover such property. We will strengthen the institutions of accountability, that is, the anti-corruption institutions, in order to ensure that public trust is restored…,” he said.
Now, that the president has nominated an Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in the person of Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, it remains to be seen what will become of ORAL.
BAI/EK
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