Osman Ayariga, the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) Deputy National Youth Organizer, has alleged that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration is greatly involved in a number of corruption scandals.

Osman Ayariga asserted that the current administration protected people who wanted power just to benefit themselves at the expense of common Ghanaians.

He further compared the government to a collection of criminals, saying that the government is similar to the fictional fable “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” in which the thieves abused their authority for personal gain. Given the substantial number of ministries and appointments, he even jokingly referred to it as “Alibaba and the 1000 Thieves.”

The NDC Deputy National Youth Organizer cited instances in which officials were purportedly found in possession of significant quantities of mysterious riches. He brought up the situation of Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former CEO of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), who was charged with financial fraud.

Additionally, he also brought up a current example involving an employee of the President, who apparently lost over $117,000. The occurrences, according to Ayariga, pointed to a worrying trend of financial mismanagement within the government.

The ongoing inquiry involving Cecilia Dapaah, the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, provided the context for Ayariga’s remarks. According to reports, searches at numerous places revealed huge sums of cash, both in local and foreign currencies, at houses connected to Dapaah.

At Dapaah’s home in Abelemkpe, where sizable sums of money, jewelry, and other valuables were earlier reported stolen, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) discovered sizeable sums of money, including $590,000 and GHC2,730,000. The finding of more money has generated more concerns about the circumstance.

Osman Ayariga employed the analogy of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in his remarks to express his opinions on the subject. His remarks reflected the mounting worries and complaints surrounding suspicions of corruption inside the government.

Court Must Operate Impartially

Mary Addah, the Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), urged the court to act impartially in the case involving Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

She claimed that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) had contributed to the investigation and development of some conclusions. So, the court will now need to intervene and see that justice is served.

“The other arms of government would also be called to attention because we believe that when we all work together with the civil society, and media, the OSP will do its part by investigating and rolling out the necessary action to catch more or even bring out more information. Then the others who are also mandated to do the rest like the court, should also then do it without fear or favor because the court is a place where justice is served.”
Mary Addah

The OSP claimed that it had neither released or disclosed any information regarding Madam Dapaah’s bank accounts, which remain frozen as a result of a Special Prosecutor order. In a statement, the OSP pleaded with the public to dismiss media reports about alleged bank balances that the office had published.

Following recent allegations of corruption, the OSP has requested a court order to freeze the bank accounts of the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources.