The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Mr. Abraham Amaliba, has defended the Mahama administration’s approach to fighting corruption, describing it as a clear departure from the scandal-ridden past.
He pointed out that one of the major concerns during the last election was corruption, with Ghanaians becoming accustomed to frequent scandals under the previous government.
“We had gotten to a point that we were beginning to even become used to the corrupt practices of the other regime. So it was important that having won the elections, the President would put together this ORAL team,” he said.
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Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday, Mr. Amaliba explained that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) was established to receive complaints and intelligence on corruption, noting that it could not directly refer cases to state investigative bodies such as the Police or EOCO at the time, since many of those institutions were still headed by appointees of the previous administration.
He clarified that when the ORAL team described itself as a receptacle of information, it was not admitting to being overwhelmed with garbage, but rather emphasizing that it received raw reports from the public without filtering them.
“What he meant was that they were just a receptacle of information and complaints. They were not duty-bound to sift the issues. So it didn’t mean that garbage was thrown at them,” he explained.
On the Attorney General’s recent press briefing, Mr. Amaliba said the move is timely and aimed at assuring Ghanaians of the government’s commitment to transparency and due process in the prosecution of corruption cases.
“Those saying that the Attorney General was delaying were wrong. He was actually working behind the scenes to build solid cases that can stand the test of time,” Mr. Amaliba stated.
He added that the Attorney General’s decision to update the public on ongoing investigations is an example of accountability in governance.
“Good governance requires that you carry the people along. That’s what the Attorney General did, and I agree with him,” Mr. Amaliba said.
He stressed that the ORAL initiative has saved this country, citing ongoing investigations such as those related to buffer stock as examples of its positive impact.