The Bible at Exodus 23:1 warned that ‘Do not spread false reports, Likewise the Bible at Zachariah at 8.16-17 decreed that ‘Speak the Truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your Court’
Lastly, a Biblical quote at Ecclesiastes 1:9, ‘It is God who nominates a Leader’ so as based on this last Biblical proclamation, Christian and Moslems will agree with me that His Excellency Nana Addo was nominated on 07 December 2016 as President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces by God may be among other reasons for his Universal rather his Nationwide Free SHS and to lead Ghana in the era of COVID19 in 2019.
Likewise, the Second coming of His Excellency JD Mahama as the President of Ghana and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces is to help Ghana among others for a 24hour economy (a tall order) and to prevent and or reduce looting to the barest minimum, and make some recoveries hence the concept of Operations Recover All Loot is a very good one. But as the name suggest it must cover all loots, so the period since the PNDC era otherwise Fourth Republic.
Data from Budget Statements and Fact Checked by media Foundation of West Africa indicated that since 2007 Ghana went to Eurobond Market, nine times and borrowed a total of 15.61 billion Dollars, President Kofour borrowed 750 Million Dollars, President JD Mahama borrowed from the Eurobond 2013 to 2016 6.384 Billion Dollars and President Nana Addo borrowed, from the Eurobond Market from 2018 to 2021 a sum of 11.025 Billion US Dollars. as confirmed by President Mahama at Addis Ababa as reported by Jot News on News Pulse for Monday 17 February 2025 That the outstanding debt as at 2022 was 13.103 Billion Dollars which went under the Debt Restructuring.
The alleged amount as indicated by Team ORAL to be recovered is 21.19 Billion US Dollars, so since the ORAL alleged recoverable is in US Dollars a good or simple research work by them would have revealed to the Team that the accumulated public debt stood at 8 Billion US Dollars in 2008 and skyrocketed to 34.5 Billion US Dollars in December 2016 a variance of 26.5 Billion US Dollars was thus added to the accumulated debt by both the Regime of President Mills and President Mahama, President Mills added 5 Billion Dollars by 2012. The accumulated public debt jumped to 52 Billion US Dollars by 2024 thus a variance of 17.5 Billion US Dollars.
Unfortunately, the report submitted by Team ORAL which indicated that $21.19 Billion through the Attorney General is recoverable tells that Team ORAL may be political propagandists with false intelligence to deceive the gullible public otherwise it demos the extent of integrity or the state of incompetency of some of our leaders regardless of their academic achievements otherwise the Team members have made their emotion to take a better side of then thus made them to fail to apply common sense in their work.
Since as Ghana’s accumulated debt in 2024 was 52Billion US Dollars implying it skyrocketed by 17.5 Billion US Dollars, from the accumulated debt of 34.5 Billion US Dollars hence President Nana Addo added 17.5 Billion Dollars to the National Debt (from the external Capital Market, For instance Nana Addo’s regime first Went to the Capital or Eurobond Market in 2018 for 2biilion US dollars, then in 2019, the Nana Addo’s regime borrowed 3Billion US Dollars from the Eurobond Market, in 2020, the Nana Addo’s regime borrowed 3Billion US Dollars thus making 8 Billion US Dollars by December 2020. Then went to the Eurobond Market for 3 Billion US Dollars in 2021 making a total of 11 Billion US Dollars borrowed from the external sources by December 2021 and Ghana was priced out in 2022 due to debt sustainability problem, so 6.5 Billion US Dollars was borrowed outside the Eurobond Market presumably within Ghana.
The 17.5 Billion US Dollars as the debt added by Nana Addo’s Regime, was meant for management of liabilities including retirement of previous debt including interest, energy sector debt payment as result of the 2018 banking crisis, COVID19 expenses of 1.5 Billion US Dollars (which the Officials will defend as monies spent on meals, electricity, water, business loans, risk allowance payments to Medical Staff and Security elements then for meeting salaries, cost of roads and interchanges, education including free SHS, health, airport renovation, the controversial National cathedral reportedly as 58 Million US Dollars etc
So, a good research work by Team ORAL would have made them to realize that their figure may be the sum or a total of irregularities which include some recoverables and some non-recoverables because some monies were genuinely spent but the problem may be that the expenditure was against the regulations on Financial Management practices or other good reasons.
This errors of Team ORAL reminds me of the erroneous impression held by some people in 2022, which shockingly included some members of the Intelligentsia Community and reputable CSOs who held a mistaken belief and ran amok with this total figure of 17 Billion Ghana Cedis as the accumulated irregularities from 2019, 2020 and 2021 as reported in the 2022 Auditor General Report was due to corruption and therefore could be recovered.
But upon a careful a check by me, I found that some of the monies were included a failure by the EPA to collect reclamation bond from Small Scale Miners since 1999 when the Environmental Assessment1999 (LI1652)
It was very sad that in 2022, the members of the Intelligentsias Community including a former Auditor General namely /the CSOs and media ran amok with the GHC17.5 Billion without reading the report. As stated in my Open Letter to President of Ghana Commending Mr Johnson Aseidu, due to his very hardworking, professional attitude and a Constitutional adherent, Auditor General of the Fourth Republic so far. Google for my article as published on the website of Modern Ghana in 2022 as ‘Open Letter to President of Ghana in Commending Mr Johnson Aseidu’’, for understanding his job and the 1992 Constitutional limitation for Auditor General, as a risk analyst and submit his report to Parliament as the Risk Owner to direct him or established a committee to act accordingly.
If they Members of the Intelligentsia Community in 2022, have done so they would have realized that the irregularities of GHC17.5 Billion included, Judgment debt of GHC2 Million against GBC due to wrongful termination of the appointment of Mr Ampeh Darko of the CEO or DG of GBC when the new President or President Mills took over in 2009. So this was an irregularity which was due to unlawful act but not due to corruption by the regime of President Mills.
Hence President Mahama must watch it, to arrest this canker when a new President take over and use due process or the Rule of the law to prevent huge judgment debt for termination the employment of anyone including use of the labour Act 2003 .(Act 651) and Company Act 1963 (Act 179). The former female AG as the legal adviser to President Mahama must wake up from her slumber and give good advice to the Chief of Staff.
The Auditor General’s Report released in 2022 indicated that Ghc6 Billion was cash overran by MMDAs MDAs etc and CHRAJ (which spent GHC400Million against Compensation and good services). GHC3 Billion was due to discrepancies of the books of GRA and the Accountant General Records which GRA explained as part of Energy Sector Levy and thus needed the two Organizations to check for reconciliation
It also included the outstanding debt of the defunct Ghana Airways, defunct Abosso Glass Factory, defunct Bonsa Tire Factory, defunct State Fishing Corporation, Divesture Implementation Committee (DIC) as part of cost overran by SIGA which replaced DIC, it included low revenue collected by some District Assemblies collectors as against their salaries or compensation of the Collectors which was colossal.
The Audit Report indicated that there was a State Housing debt against defaulters at the Borteyman Accra Estate which included a debt of over GHC30,000.00 by a popular lady now a Presidential Staffer at Jubilee House.
Also was an irregularity on matter of hotel accommodation for more than 90 days occupied by District Coordinator Director of Dorma District Assembly because no accommodation for him. This was against financial management, whether he was/is to pay or not was/is not within the powers of the Auditor General but the powers of Parliament, the Risk Owner hence reasons for the report to must be submitted to Parliament as decreed by the Constitution.
Genuinely spent but regarded as irregularity by the Audit Report included Ghana Water Company reportedly bought power for water works at very high cost from ECG instead of direct power from VRA/GREDCO as a measure to reduce cost to both the Company and the Consumer. There was case in which a Medical Doctor who was posted to a District and could not get immediate accommodation, so he was housed in a hotel for more than 90 days against the rules, which was flagged by Auditors as irregularity but common sense will tell it was an irregularity but for public good. Hence no refund.
The above narration is the same challenged encountered by Bank of Ghana spent 60.8 Billion Ghana Cedis for public good in 2022 when the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2018 was duly suspended by the then Finance Minister as a result of the 2022 post COVID 199 crisis as well as to support the Debt Restructuring effort including a COCOA sector loan to facilitate the IMF bailout for public good.
The Framers of the 1992 Constitution took cognizance of the possibility of both an act of looting or theft or genuine expenditure but which may against regulations on Financial Management, so the framers of the Constitution directed that the Auditor General must send his report to Parliament as the Rusk Owner to investigate the observations or findings and recommendations and give direction including approval for recoveries and prosecution.
So as stated in one of my submissions, that the Supreme Court had it very wrong or acted unconstitutionally with their ruling that the Auditor General should surcharge irregularities found before submitting his report to Parliament the law makers and the authority to amend the Constitution or any law. So the ruling of the Supreme Court was contrary to the fear and intention of the framers of the Constitution, so with this one matter, one may be right to say the Supreme Court failed the Constitutional interpretation question/ Test.
A good risk assessment would have informed the Supreme Court that the aggrieved person has the right to appeal High Court and the time limitation as granted by the Constitution for submission and the nature of the audit that makes the risk owner as Parliament and not the Auditor General. So, I am of the opinion that the Auditor General is expected to establish a Surcharge Committee who will act on the directives of Parliament, including getting the AG to prosecute, so granting prosecution powers to the Auditor General would be unconstitutional.
The ill-informed members of the intelligentsia community and the Team ORAL must be educated that all looting are irregularities but all Irregularities are not looting, hence vast differences between financial irregularities and looting.
Shockingly, for whatever reasons the Team ORAL indicated that out of the 21.9 Billon US Dollars, 4.5 Billion US Dollars was looted from the system of National Service Authority. This made Mr Bright Simon to cast doubt on the report especially this alleged sum of 4.5 Billion US Dollars which he concluded that it was very wrong estimate since the figure used was the total baggage of the National Service Scheme since 1978 is about the same 4.5 Billion US Dollars.
This error by Team ORAL is like the error detected by the current Attorney General with the Sagelami Estates cost of 200 Million Dollars which was allegedly as irregularities when evidentially we can see some infrastructural especially buildings, roads etc which were built out of this total sum, so using the total sum of 200 Million US Dollars to charge Hon Collins Duada was a gross error on the part of his predecessor, the previous AG.
Team ORAL must be educated that we are not in Military Regime nor the Ghana Armed Forces. This issue of irregularities and recoveries reminds me of my very bitter experience in Liberia during peacekeeping operation when I was required to pay about 750,000.00 Cedis equivalent to 1,500.00 US Dollars at the rate of 520 Cedis to One US Dollar against an incident truck not driven by me but simply because I used for an operation.
The incident as stated happened in Monrovia. On 15 October 1992, the prime Warlord of Liberia namely Mr Charles Taylor launched Operation Octopus and attacked Monrovia and as well as AFL Schiefflin Barracks and put Monrovia under siege including Gardnerville, New Georgia, Communities of James Sprign Payne Airport Monrovia and this resulted in 200,000 displaced people.
He used young boys as fighters. My Headquarters at ACS, which was an America School became a center for orphans. The siege continued for more than 2months with me and my troops and the support of the very brave Senegalese troops, our Friendly Forces at Gardnerville etc to our West, pushed out the rebels almost daily to the outskirt of Monrovia in Counterattack operations. . .
In November 1992, the Senegalese Military personnel were withdrawn and our ECOMOG Commander Major General Yayaha Bakut was replaced with Brigadier General Olurin for combat operation to capture Harbel International Airport and the Firestone Rubber Plantation, then the largest in the World at Harbel. So whilst at the Airport to bid our most Superior commander namely General Bakut farewell, who was departing Monrovia to Nigeria by C13 Aircraft which was also for the airlifting of the Senegalese troop about 1,000 in batches and also was the landing of Okada Airline from Nigeria with resupply, all of a sudden, the Airport area was bombed by the rebels and we escaped the ammunition from area weapon for mass destruction by a near miss.
In my location under command was a Steryr truck, a troop carrier for the used by my Combat Team as the Advance Infantry Rifle Company (Combat Team) to capture Harbel as the Forward or Lead Combat Team for a deadliest battle that saw Nigeria Forces conveying not less than five dead bodies and amputates every day through Okada Airline which was also used for resupply.
This was the first time we were going to see ourselves in the battalion from Ghana as Ghanbat, suddenly ordered to change from Peacekeeping role which we were trained for and came to Liberia to operate to the role for effective combat operation in a peace enforcement after we were inoculated by the rebels with our Counterattacks against the rebels of Charles Taylor hence a proper warfare first in our life and worst of all in fearful guerrilla or jungle warfare unlike our familiar conventional warfare.
So, all of us in Bravo Company said to each other why me. So initially none of my Platoon Commanders and troops were ready to form the lead platoon in an arrow head formation due to the rough, tough and unknown or unfriendly forest terrain for guerilla warfare hence not conventional warfare.
All of sudden then Lieutenant Albert Fiawosime one of my young Officers and his troops who actually fought in several counterattack due to rebels attempts to capture the Monrovia Airport their Area of Responsibility agreed to be my lead platoon. So we RV (met) at Schifrin Barracks where we married up with the other part of Ghanbat and we met the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and ULIMO troops who became our friendly forces because your enemy’s enemy is your friend philosophy was adopted since these elements from Liberia know the difficult terrain, so they were as scouts and fighters.
The river Schfliin was designated as the Start Line, a point of the slogan no retreat and no surrender which some of my troops and were to occupy and create a bridgehead for us to cross. So, it was there in Liberia that I realized the importance of the classroom teaching that Commanders must move well forward to motivate your troops was put into practice or life and not the romantic or easygoing rehearsals.
So with the support or under cover of overhead artillery l fire and aerial bombardment by Alpha Jets from Nigeria ECOMOG Brigade, we (my Combat Team) fought on empty stomachs for almost two days and captured Harbel by 3pm and we held the place for some time and handed over to the AFL/ULIMO and Nigeria troops to hold the area and push the rebels further forward after we the whole of Ghanbat returned with Steryr Vehicles included the one assigned for my Team in batches to Monrovia.
On return to Monrovia, so as the Lead Advance Combat Team Commander, I decided my Combat Team should celebrate our safe return to Monrovia without any casualty aside the driver of the Commanding Officer who was wounded from Sniper fire during the war.
At the end of the party in 01 January 1993, the steryr Truck 88 GA 72 driven by one Private Gapkpo was returning my troops to the Sprign Airport when it got involved in a nearly fatal motor accident. The truck was seriously damaged. As a usual of the Military, a Board (Committee) of Inquiry (BOI) was organized into the accident to find out the circumstance that led to the accident, any human casualty and extent of damage, cost of repairs if reparable and if in the opinion of the Board someone was blamable etc.
An act of irregularity was found against me in the report of the BOI otherwise Army HQ. According to the rule of the law or as required by due process as in Article 21.10 section (9) of the Armed Forces Regulation One (AFR1), the attention of the aggrieved person must be drawn, if any punishment is to be awarded. This was not done by Army HQ before asking Force Pay Office to recover GHC750.00,00 that was 1,923.00 US Dollars from pay within a time frame. So all irregularities in investigation or found in Audit are not loots.
