Team ORAL Steps Up Efforts to Recover State Assets Misappropriated by Previous Administration
The Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Preparation Team, under the leadership of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has intensified its activities to reclaim state assets alleged to have been misappropriated during the previous administration. The team, formed under the directive of President John Dramani Mahama, is tasked with investigating public sector allegations, ensuring transparency, and addressing cases of state capture.
In a recent update on the team’s progress, Mr. Ablakwa emphasized the commitment to delivering on its mandate. “The ORAL Team is determined in ensuring that this preparatory task is well executed and that the high expectations of the Ghanaian people are duly met,” he stated in a social media post.
Team ORAL recently conducted a field assessment in Accra, inspecting several locations believed to have been affected by state capture. These included the Dubois Centre, Agric Mechanization lands, Labadi Beach Hotel’s beachfront, La Trade Fair, the demolished Bulgarian Embassy, and the encroached Northern Development Authority (NDA) lands in Cantonments.
At the Dubois Centre, the team encountered heightened tensions between Ministry of Tourism staff and a company claiming to have secured a contract under the previous government to manage the facility. The situation required Team ORAL to call in National Security to restore peace and order.
“Team ORAL was compelled to invite National Security to take over the facility in order to restore peace and security,” Mr. Ablakwa explained.
During their visit to the Agric Mechanization lands in Cantonments, the team observed the military’s deployment to halt alleged land appropriations by politically exposed persons associated with the outgone government.
“We were delighted to observe that the military had been deployed to halt a disturbingly opaque appropriation of the lands by politically exposed persons after they evicted staff of the Agric Ministry and carried out rezoning, albeit without parliamentary approval,” Ablakwa reported.
At the Northern Development Authority lands in Cantonments, Team ORAL discovered unauthorized attempts to seize portions of the property.
“We took judicial notice that faceless characters had hurriedly erected walls to grab large portions of the NDA lands under extremely dubious circumstances,” Ablakwa revealed. National Security has since been alerted to investigate and address the situation.
The team also inspected the demolished Bulgarian Embassy property, assuring embassy officials that the issue will be documented for appropriate action under the new administration.
“We have assured officials of the Bulgarian Embassy that our extensive report will adequately document the current state of affairs for appropriate action by the new Mahama administration,” Ablakwa stated.
The Operation Recover All Loot team is working diligently to ensure transparency and accountability in its investigations. Their efforts aim to safeguard public assets, restore trust in governance, and address the misuse of state resources.
As the team continues its mandate, Ghanaians await further updates on the recovery efforts and the steps to hold those responsible for alleged misappropriations accountable.