Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth Wing, under the group name Operation Recover All Loot Brigade (ORAL), have announced plans to stage a demonstration at the Finance Ministry on September 4, 2024.
The protest aims to demand accountability and the recovery of funds allegedly misused in several questionable financial transactions.
ORAL has raised concerns about a series of deals they claim lack transparency, including a US$34.9 million contract for ambulance spare parts, the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) contract with Subah Infosolutions Limited (SML), and expenditures related to the All-African Games. The group is particularly focused on the national ambulance deal, alleging that the transaction was not transparent and may have involved cost inflation.
The group is calling for a comprehensive investigation into these transactions to ensure that public funds have been managed responsibly. ORAL’s convener, Osman Ayariga, stated that the picketing at the Finance Ministry is part of a larger plan to protest at various public offices to demand immediate action on financial irregularities.
“Our aim is to restore public confidence in the financial management system and to reinforce the principles of integrity and transparency in handling public resources,” Ayariga said.
He emphasized that ORAL will continue to protest and occupy government establishments suspected of corruption until their concerns are addressed.
“We are organizing a picketing at the Ministry of Finance, and subsequently at the Jubilee House, as well as other government establishments involved or suspected of involvement in corruption or corruption-related issues,” Ayariga explained. “We are demanding immediate and decisive action on several troubling financial irregularities that have recently come to light”.
He added, “On September 4th, the ORAL Brigade will gather at the Ministry of Finance to voice our demands and make sure our concerns are heard. Our goal is to urge the Minister of Finance to take swift action to investigate these issues thoroughly, stop any questionable payments, and recover misappropriated funds where necessary.”
Ayariga concluded by saying that this protest is just the beginning of a series of planned actions by ORAL aimed at demanding accountability in public financial management. “This is essential to restore public trust and to uphold the principle that public resources must be managed with the utmost integrity and transparency.”