Arise Ghana Demands Arrest of Ken Ofori-Atta, Rejects Third-Term Agenda

Accra, January 7, 2026 — Pressure group Arise Ghana has demanded the immediate arrest and extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, warning that Ghana’s democracy and anti-corruption drive will collapse if politically exposed persons are shielded from accountability.

The demand was made on Wednesday at a press conference at the International Press Centre in Accra, where the group delivered its independent assessment of President John Dramani Mahama’s first year in office.

Speaking at the event, Arise Ghana Co-Convener Marion Gifty Nyaaba said the credibility of the government’s flagship anti-corruption initiative, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), would depend entirely on whether it results in prosecutions, not public relations.

“If ORAL ends as a slogan without arrests and convictions, it will be remembered as theatre, not reform,” she warned.

The group said allowing individuals implicated in major financial scandals to evade justice would destroy public confidence and entrench a culture of impunity that Ghana can no longer afford.

Arise Ghana singled out former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, insisting that he must be compelled to return to Ghana to face investigations over alleged financial misconduct during his tenure.

“There must be no selective justice. No untouchables — past or present,” the group declared.

Beyond corruption, Arise Ghana also issued a firm rejection of any attempts to extend presidential tenure beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, describing third-term agitations as “reckless and dangerous.”

The group warned that tampering with term limits would erode democratic norms, provoke political instability and undermine Ghana’s international standing.

“Ghana does not need perpetual leaders. It needs strong institutions that outlive individuals,” the statement said, adding that President Mahama must “govern effectively and exit gracefully.”

Arise Ghana further called for the speedy passage of the Public Tribunals Bill to strengthen access to justice, as well as the Legal Education Reform Bill, which it said would help address the shortage of lawyers and improve the delivery of justice nationwide.

The group also urged the Attorney-General to work closely with investigative bodies such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to ensure that anti-corruption cases are pursued independently and without political interference.

In concluding remarks, Arise Ghana called on the media, civil society organisations and ordinary citizens to remain vigilant and resist any attempt to weaken democratic safeguards.

“Democracy is not self-executing. If citizens go to sleep, impunity will wake up,” the group warned

 

Source:Joseph Wemakor