Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has praised General Secretary Fiifi Kwetey for openly calling out lawyers within the party who are accused of undermining the government’s prosecutions.
Anyidoho described the intervention as courageous and reflective of the NDC’s true spirit. “I’m glad that the General Secretary of the NDC is speaking out boldly and not mincing words at all. This is the true spirit of the NDC. Kudos to you, Fiifi,” he wrote.
Addressing the 5th Annual General Conference of NDC lawyers, Fiifi Kwetey expressed frustration at the conduct of some legal practitioners in the party. He accused them of frustrating government efforts to ensure accountability through the courts.
“Despite the fact that pleas and pressure are coming from the public that punishment has to be meted out, and this must be done properly, some among us are busy trying to cut deals with people who are supposed to be prosecuted”
Fiifi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary
He warned that such practices risk betraying the mandate given to the NDC. According to him, the public expected justice, not negotiations behind the scenes. “I’m not mentioning names. A time will come when we have to,” he added, warning of consequences if such individuals do not stop running interference.
Mr. Kwetey, who previously served as Minister of Agriculture, cautioned that party lawyers acting as conduits for external pressure were seriously jeopardizing public trust in the party’s government as the NDC’s victory in 2024 was won on the promise of accountability.
“This victory was achieved largely because the people of Ghana wanted the right thing done. Not for deals to be cut,” he stressed, adding that the culture of reciprocal protection could not be entertained. “For them to say, okay, now that we are on the other side, we cut deals so that tomorrow you also can get a deal cut. No, it won’t happen.”
Fiifi Kwetey’s comments came days after the Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem Sai, briefed the public on the progress of the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative. The programme, set up to retrieve state resources wrongfully acquired, has been criticized for moving at a slow pace.
Justice Sai acknowledged the public’s impatience but explained that the government’s approach is rooted in due process. He highlighted progress in one of the notable cases.
“To the extent that for Adu Boahene, we have covered 1/3rd of the case, if not for the legal vacation, which stops the court for two months, we would probably have concluded our case, and then the defense would be open, but we will come back in October and continue from where we left off”
Justice Srem Sai, Deputy Attorney-General
Addressing Public Frustration
The Deputy Attorney-General further emphasized that the pace of trials compared favorably to other criminal cases, but admitted that expectations were legitimate.
“The public will say they don’t see anything, but the point I am trying to make is that the expectation is legitimate because of what we have witnessed, but the work we are doing is very thorough and vibrant,” he said, insisting that the process was rigorous and deliberate, not cosmetic.
He also dismissed the notion that political will was lacking, stressing his personal commitment to the process.
“I hardly sleep, but the point here is that the public would have to be made aware of the process that we just can’t bundle people based on complaints and throw them into jail”
Dr. Srem Sai, Deputy Attorney-General
The exchange between Kwetey and Sai underscores a broader conversation on governance under President John Dramani Mahama. While Kwetey has trained his attention on the internal discipline of the party, Sai has reassured the public that the law is working, albeit more slowly than many expected.
Together, their remarks reflect the government’s insistence on safeguarding accountability. For Kwetey, it is about preserving the NDC’s credibility. For Sai, it is about ensuring justice is achieved in a manner consistent with constitutional standards.
Both positions highlight the ongoing tension between political promises and the requirements of due process.
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