A faction of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth Wing, operating under the name Operation Recover All Loot Brigade (ORAL), has announced plans to hold a demonstration at the Finance Ministry on September 4, 2024.
The group is calling for accountability and the recovery of funds they believe were misappropriated through dubious transactions.
ORAL has pointed to several deals they view as lacking transparency, such as the US$34.9 million Ambulance Spare Parts contract, the GRA-SML deal, and expenditures related to the All-African Games.
Their main concern revolves around the government’s handling of the national ambulance deal, which they allege lacks transparency and may involve inflated costs.
The group is urging a comprehensive investigation into these transactions to ensure that public funds have been properly utilized.
Osman Ayariga, ORAL’s convenor, stated that the protest at the Finance Ministry is just the beginning of a series of planned demonstrations at various public offices, aimed at demanding immediate action on financial irregularities.
Ayariga underscored that ORAL’s objective is to restore public trust in the financial management system and to uphold the principles of integrity and transparency in the use of public resources.
He further warned that ORAL would continue to occupy and picket government institutions suspected of corruption until their demands for accountability are met.
“In view of the Oral objectives, we are organizing a picketing at the Ministry of Finance and subsequently at the Jubilee House and any government establishments involved or suspected to be involved in corruption or corruption-related matters to demand immediate and decisive action regarding several troubling financial improprieties that have recently come to light.”
He added, “As a result, on the 4th of September, the Oral Brigade will be assembling at the Ministry of Finance to voice our demands and ensure that our concerns are heard. Again, our purpose is to urge the Minister for Finance to take immediate action to investigate these matters thoroughly, halt any questionable payments, and recover funds where necessary.”
“We believe that this picketing is vital to restore public confidence in our financial management system, to reinforce the principle that public resources must be managed with the highest levels of integrity and transparency. This is just the first and beginning of many planned protests by the National Conscious Oral Brigade aimed at demanding accountability in public financial management.”