The Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Ms. Shamima Muslim has responded to the Former Attorney’s Statement where he described ORAL as a toothless institution.
Ms. Shamima reaffirmed the purpose and functions of President Mahama’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL), which has been the subject of public debate.
“On a lighter note, indeed, ORAL was a toothless institution to the extent that we didn’t envisage it to be a toothful institution. We had explained over and over the purpose of ORAL. Even said it was a preparatory team to gather information and petitions that were already flowing to the President even before the electioneering period.”
Ms. Shamima Muslim Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
She further reinforced that the former Attorney General’s remarks about ORAL lacking power were based on misunderstandings of its actual function and that the opposition was setting their questions and responding to them.
“ORAL team was not a prosecutorial team. ORAL team was not an arresting team. ORAL team was merely an information gathering team. They were not even truly an investigative team.”
“The (ORAL Committee) have done a beautiful job of giving the Attorney General the beginnings of what would be a very comprehensive audit of the outgoing government.”
Ms. Shamima Muslim Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
She noted that Mahama’s government is founded on a strong ideological framework that seeks to restore integrity to public service.
“Everybody who wants to engage the Mahama administration should understand two things; that there is a spirit and letter to what he wants to do and how he intends to reset this economy. There’s a software and then there’s a hardware. If you come to the software, there’s a philosophy of the NDC that is guiding how he wants to govern this country. His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has promised to lead a government of conscience, a government that puts the people of Ghana at the center of Ghana’s development. He has promised and shown commitment to lead a transparent, accountable, and just government.
”Even as he would expect accountability from political opponents, the fourth swearing-in ceremonies that he led of the various ministers and committees—one charge runs through all of it. He kept on admonishing all appointees to be minded by the ethos of his government, that he will not tolerate arrogance, profligacy, disrespect to the people, and disrespect to the social contract.”
Ms. Shamima Muslim Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
To ensure adherence to these principles, Mahama plans to introduce a Code of Conduct and Standards for Public Officers, holding his appointees to the highest levels of integrity.
A New Era of Governance and Decision-Making
Ms. Shamima defended the administration’s recent reassignments of appointees, arguing that governance is a dynamic process that requires continuous evaluation and adjustment.
She pointed out that Governance is constantly in motion. And sometimes when planning, the planning process lends itself to review -such that any well-intentioned and well-governed institution, whether it’s corporate or otherwise, knows that they are constantly reviewing their processes, their systems, and their structures. She acknowledged that unforeseen information might emerge after appointments, necessitating changes for better efficiency.
Ms. Shamima called for patience and understanding from the public, urging Ghanaians to trust in the NDC’s commitment to good governance.
“If you understand this philosophy, then you will understand even when we take missteps. The corrective measures we quickly take to correct those missteps are indicative of a listening government, not an intransigent one. And I pray that such will continue.”
Ms. Shamima Muslim Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
Ms. Shamima further took a strong stance against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing them of hypocrisy in their expectations of the NDC while failing to acknowledge their own governance failures.
“They never come to the equity table with clean hands. In fact, they never concede that their hands are soiled in any way rather than expecting higher moral, ethical, and behavioral standards of the NDC… We are okay to accept that even we hold ourselves to those greater and higher standards. The NDC is a party for the people. The NDC will always uphold the interest of Ghana over and above anything else.”
Ms. Shamima Muslim Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
Shamima Muslim’s remarks provide a clear perspective on the Mahama administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
She firmly defended the role of ORAL while distinguishing Mahama’s governance philosophy from that of the NPP. Her statements reinforce the NDC’s dedication to building a government that listens, learns, and leads with integrity.
