Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has praised President John Mahama’s commitment to recovering state resources, commending the impact of the defunct Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) Committee.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency in Accra, Mr. Ablakwa, who once chaired the ORAL Committee, said its guiding principles continue to shape his decisions as Foreign Minister.
He outlined several achievements under his tenure, including reclaiming the Ministry’s land at Airport Residential Area, halting the illegal sale of Ghana’s diplomatic property in Lagos, Nigeria, and assisting National Security in arresting suspect Bright Mensah Bonsu, who allegedly pocketed $1.5 million meant for state coffers.
The Minister also revealed that he reversed an earlier plan to sell Ghana’s diplomatic property in Lusaka, Zambia, and introduced an asset register to properly track all Ministry assets.
Additionally, he disclosed the cancellation of a $3.5 million renovation contract for Ghana’s Abidjan Embassy, awarded in November 2024, citing breaches of due process.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that competitive procurement has now become standard at the Foreign Ministry, covering passport courier services, ticketing companies, cleaning contracts, and staff buses, to ensure transparency and compliance with the Public Procurement Act.
He added that international partners are backing the ORAL initiative, pointing to President Mahama’s recent state visit to Singapore, which produced a bilateral framework to strengthen Ghana’s forensic capacity in anti-corruption investigations through collaboration with EOCO, CHRAJ, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and the CID.
Pledging continued partnership with global allies, Mr. Ablakwa assured that his Ministry would support President Mahama and the Attorney-General in ensuring the success of ORAL.
Source: Adomonline
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