Arise Ghana, a pressure group, has announced plans to stage a protest at the United States Embassy in Accra on January 20, calling for the return of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to face legal accountability.
Mr Ofori-Atta held the position of Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 during the New Patriotic Party government and has been embroiled in several public disputes concerning alleged financial mismanagement and procurement irregularities.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor recently disclosed that it is probing various transactions that received approval during his time in office, including matters related to revenue assurance contracts, the public debt restructuring process, and payments made through sole-sourcing arrangements.
Legal representatives of the former minister have indicated his readiness to assist with any legitimate investigative procedures, attributing his current absence from the country to health and security considerations.
In an interview on Pulse, Selorm Dzramadao, a prominent member of the group, confirmed that formal notification of the demonstration has been submitted to both the US Embassy and the Ghana Police Service, with assurances of adequate security arrangements for participants.
“We have duly notified the US Embassy. We have done the same to the Ghana Police Service, and they have assured us of sufficient protection,” he said. “We are commencing at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow at the US Embassy.”
Mr Dzramadao appealed to media organizations to provide live coverage of the demonstration, characterizing it as a significant event.
“I invite all your reporters to come and cover it live because it’s going to be historic—that for the first time, a former Minister of Finance has fled this country,” he claimed.
He maintained that Mr Ofori-Atta intentionally departed Ghana to escape accountability, dismissing explanations that the former minister simply traveled abroad through regular procedures.
“He ran away from justice, and he’s still evading justice by giving us contrived excuses,” Mr Dzramadao alleged, referring to claims that the former minister fears a hostile reception if he returns.