, describing it as “nothing but a cheap political slogan.”){kind=link}
Senior Lecturer and Policy Analyst at the University of Ghana, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has dismissed President John Dramani Mahama’s anti-corruption initiative, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), describing it as “nothing but a cheap political slogan.”
Dr. Zaato argued that the ORAL initiative was never intended to hold former government officials accountable for corruption, but rather to serve as a political tool to discredit the previous administration.
“ORAL was never meant to hold people accountable, and it was never meant to be an accountability tool. Its objective was to smear, criticize, and chastise members of the former government — to portray them as corrupt so that the NDC could win power,” he asserted.
According to Dr. Zaato, the initiative achieved its purpose once the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the 2024 general elections and returned to power. He questioned why, nine months into President Mahama’s administration, no former government official had been prosecuted under the much-touted initiative.
“ORAL has achieved its biggest objective. It was the best political sloganeering we’ve seen in two decades. It helped the NDC win power, and now its job is done. So, Mr. Domelevo, I understand your frustration,” Dr. Zaato remarked, referencing recent comments by former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo.
Mr. Domelevo, a member of the ORAL task force, had earlier expressed deep disappointment over the lack of prosecutions despite months of investigations. Speaking on The KSM Show on October 7, 2025, he lamented the slow pace of action, warning that delays could derail justice and allow corruption suspects to go unpunished.
“I am not satisfied at all. I can’t even see the tunnel, let alone the light at the end of it,” Domelevo said. “The procedure being used by the current Attorney-General is very slow. Before we know it, President Mahama’s term will be over, and our money will be gone.”
However, Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has defended the government, insisting that the Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, is not deliberately delaying prosecutions.
In a separate interview on The Big Issue, the NDC lawmaker explained that the ORAL investigations were complex and required “meticulous and evidence-based work” to ensure successful prosecutions.
“There’s no substitute for due diligence in the administration of justice,” Agbana said. “People may think nine months is a long time, but legal procedures take time. I have full confidence in the Attorney-General’s commitment to deliver justice.”
The Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative was launched shortly after President Mahama’s return to office in early 2025 to recover alleged misappropriated state funds and prosecute former public officials implicated in corruption.