What is the vanity of advertising your operations? - Atta Akyea asks ORAL

Former Member of Parliament for Akim Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, has expressed concerns over the public nature of the operations conducted by the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) committee set up by President John Dramani Mahama.

In a discussion on JoyNews on January 18, 2025, Atta Akyea questioned the need for the members of ORAL to publicize their activities, suggesting that such operations should be conducted quietly to avoid unnecessary attention and panic among the citizenry.

"Why don't you gather quietly? What is the vanity of advertising what you are trying to do? Why don't you do submarine gathering so people are relaxed?" he remarked.

Atta Akyea emphasized that in other countries, bodies involved in gathering information typically operate discreetly.

When asked if he preferred ORAL to conduct its operations in secret, Atta Akyea responded, "I wouldn't mind at all if nobody knows what they are doing."

He also addressed the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stating that all investigations they wish to conduct should be done with the assistance of existing institutions.

He warned against the idea of abolishing constitutional investigative institutions, highlighting the potential problems such actions could create.

“All the investigations that the NDC will want to do, the institutions are there to assist them. If the NDC is saying that ‘Now we have power and all the constitutional investigative institutions should be abolished.’ Then there is a problem,” he added.

What is ORAL?

Operational Recover All Loot (ORAL) is an initiative launched by President John Dramani Mahama before he formally assumed office.

The primary objective of ORAL is to recover misappropriated public funds and state properties, addressing corruption and promoting accountability in government.

The initiative has garnered support from anti-corruption advocates but also faced criticism, particularly from members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Critics question the legality of ORAL, arguing that Mahama lacked the authority to establish it as president-elect.

They also suggest that the initiative may be politically motivated and could lead to harassment of former government officials.

Despite these criticisms, ORAL aims to promote accountability, deter corruption, and recover stolen assets, which can be redirected to critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

ID/EK

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