US-Based Professor’s 10-Step Blueprint To Save ORAL As NDC Bigwigs Caught In Backroom Deals
Fifi Kwetey’s bold exposé of some National Democratic Congress (NDC) stalwarts cutting deals with corrupt officials has sent shockwaves through the country.
As citizens watch, hoping for the Mahama government to deliver on its promise of a fearless anti-corruption crusade, the revelations have raised serious doubts.
One of the most vocal critics of this development is the renowned US-based Ghanaian professor, Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar.
The academic and activist didn’t mince words, expressing his shock and commending the NDC’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, for his bravery.
For Prof. Azar, Kwetey’s outburst is a wake-up call for the government to handle its flagship anti-corruption policy, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), with the utmost transparency and precision.
While the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has initiated a few prosecutions, a long list of corruption scandals remains untouched.
Determined to see the ORAL campaign succeed, Kwaku Azar has laid out a comprehensive 10-point plan for the government to follow.
Among his key recommendations are aligning ORAL with national interests, public naming and shaming of anyone who tries to obstruct justice, and prosecuting those who attempt to cut deals for looters. He also advocates for an independent oversight body to ensure transparency.
THE BACKROOM BETRAYAL
At a recent event by the NDC Lawyers Association, Fifi Kwetey dropped a bombshell, revealing that some within the ruling party are using their positions to negotiate deals with corrupt appointees of the previous Akufo-Addo government, helping them escape accountability.
“My second point is this, and Attorney General, I’m sure the pressure is mounting,” Kwetey stated. “We at the party level are picking up signals, and the signals we are picking is that many among us, despite public pressure for things to be done properly, are busy trying to cut deals with people who are supposed to be prosecuted.”
“Some among us are trying to cut deals; some have become conduits through whom pressure is coming to bear on people who are supposed to do what is right. I am not mentioning names; a time may come. A word to the wise is enough. Some know themselves. Those we are hearing your names, think again,” he warned.
Kwaku Azar immediately reacted to the news on his Facebook page, saying, “Wow! Wow! Wow! Fifi Kwetey blows the whistle on party men trying to cut deals with looters. ORAL at risk.”
He expressed the sad reality of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, where successive governments start with a strong commitment to fight corruption only to finish their terms with little to show for it.
KWAKU AZAR’S 10-POINT BLUEPRINT TO SAVE ORAL
In a subsequent post, Prof. Azar laid out his full 10-point plan to ensure that looters don’t get away with their crimes. He argues that the government must immediately:
* Align with National Interest: Frame ORAL as a national duty, not a partisan fight.
* Name and Shame: Publicly expose anyone attempting to broker deals for looters.
* No Sacred Cows: Ensure no one, regardless of how powerful they are, is above the law.
* Treat as a Crime: Prosecute those who interfere with justice by trying to shield looters.
* Transparency in Processes: Make all prosecutorial decisions open, documented, and explained to the public.
* Independent Oversight: Establish an independent watchdog to monitor cases and report on political interference.
* Protect Whistleblowers: Shield citizens who expose corruption and offer them rewards.
* Public Education: Educate traditional and religious leaders on the harm of lobbying for looters and prosecute them if they interfere.
* Grassroots Vigilance: Empower citizens at all levels to monitor and report on corruption.
* Public Pressure: Maintain strong public pressure to keep institutions honest and expose backroom deals.