President John Dramani Mahama has challenged former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to voluntarily return to Ghana to face justice, insisting that anyone who believes they have done nothing wrong should not shy away from facing legal processes in their own country.
He questioned why Ofori-Atta has remained outside Ghana while the government pursues legal steps to secure his return.
“If you are a man of principle and you believe you have done nothing wrong, I don’t see why you should flee your own country,” President Mahama said.
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Speaking during the Reset Tour and Citizens’ Engagement in the Volta Region on Friday, July 17, the President urged the former Finance Minister to return willingly and face justice rather than wait for the ongoing extradition proceedings to conclude.
President Mahama recalled comments made by Ofori-Atta during his tenure as Finance Minister when he faced intense pressure from lawmakers within the then-governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to resign.
According to Mahama, Ofori-Atta compared himself to a father who could not abandon his children despite the political pressure.
The President argued that the same sense of duty should now compel him to return home and respond to the legal issues surrounding him.
“At the point when your own Members of Parliament, about 80 of them, signed a petition asking the President to remove you, you said you were like the father of children.”
Mahama added, “If we Ghanaians are your children, then we are calling you. We are begging you, Father, come back. Your children are calling you to come back.”
Extradition
President Mahama stressed that the government’s efforts to bring Ofori-Atta back to Ghana to face justice would strictly comply with the law.
He explained that extradition remains a judicial process that must respect the legal rights of the individual involved.
“Extradition or return of fugitives from justice is a legal process, and so you need to respect the rights of the person at the same time.”
Providing an update on the matter, Mahama disclosed that the Attorney-General’s Department has already filed the necessary application and is submitting additional documentation requested by the relevant authorities handling the case.
Ken Ofori-Atta is currently outside Ghana while the government continues legal proceedings aimed at securing his return through the extradition process.
The development comes as authorities intensify efforts to ensure the former Finance Minister returns to Ghana to answer matters under investigation.
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