Pressure Mounts on US Embassy to Aid Ofori-Atta’s Extradition as Kwaku Azar Rallies Citizens
By Nelson Ayivor
A cadre of Ghanaian activists, spearheaded by firebrand legal scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare better known as Kwaku Azar has lodged a petition with the US Embassy in Accra, pressing for assistance in hauling former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta back home to face a slew of financial and economic crime charges.
Dated December 2, 2025, the document accuses Ofori-Atta of dodging justice by lingering abroad, a move petitioners claim is stalling criminal proceedings and eroding Accra’s anti-corruption drive.
“His absence is gumming up the works and weakening our battle against economic malfeasance,” the group contends, invoking the shared democratic ethos between Ghana and the US to demand swift action.
Kwaku Azar, whose petition had notched 489 signatures by press time and continues to swell, stops short of presuming guilt, framing the push as a procedural imperative: Ofori-Atta must return to answer before the courts, unshielded by politics or geography.
The plea specifically seeks US verification of the ex-minister’s status stateside, streamlined bilateral cooperation, and fast-tracked handling of any extradition request tactics aimed at piercing the veil of his overseas sanctuary.
This escalation underscores the NDC administration’s aggressive pursuit of accountability for Akufo-Addo-era figures, with Ofori-Atta a lightning rod for debt restructuring controversies now in the crosshairs.
Yet, the US Embassy’s response remains a wildcard, hinging on diplomatic sensitivities and the robustness of Ghana’s case under bilateral treaties.
As public fury simmers over perceived impunity, Kwaku Azar’s campaign could galvanise broader civil society momentum or fizzle if Washington demurs, testing Accra’s leverage in the fight against elite graft.