Amid swirling speculations and rising concerns, President-elect John Dramani Mahama has addressed the confusion surrounding the newly announced Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative. Speaking candidly, Mahama pointed out that the initiative has been misinterpreted by sections of the public.
“People are confused,” he said, highlighting the widespread misunderstanding of ORAL’s purpose. “We are receiving a lot of information on things that are going wrong—corruption scandals and all that. Some send me texts, some call me, others pass through other people.”
Mahama clarified that the public’s expectations for ORAL have outpaced its actual purpose. He emphasized that ORAL is not an investigative body poised to dig into alleged corruption cases. Instead, it is a preparatory committee tasked with gathering and organizing evidence of corruption to pass on to established institutions mandated to handle such matters.
“ORAL is not going to be investigating people,” he clarified. “It is going to gather evidence and pass it on to the institutions that are supposed to do that kind of work.”
At the heart of Mahama’s clarification is a call for partnership. He emphasized that the fight against corruption is a collective effort requiring citizens to step forward with credible evidence. ORAL, in his vision, is a focal point—a channel where fragmented reports and allegations can converge to ensure they do not disappear into the ether.
The President-elect also dismissed concerns over the financial implications of the initiative. “The team is not expecting any payment; there is no budget associated with it,” he stated firmly, adding that ORAL is powered by a civic-minded spirit rather than financial allocations.