Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has described the arrest of former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD), Dennis Miracles Aboagye, as a performative act by the government aimed at creating the impression that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative is functional.
His remarks follow the arrest of Mr. Aboagye by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on Sunday, July 12, 2026, over the alleged misappropriation of GH¢55 million in public funds.
Speaking on The Public Sphere on Radio Univers, Mr. Ahiagbah argued that although the government has consistently projected itself as committed to fighting corruption, it has failed to secure convictions in the cases it has pursued.
“The only problem I find is the government rather preferring to invest in PR to create an appearance that it is working and fighting corruption whilst it hasn’t been able to successfully charge, prosecute and convict anybody till date,” he said.
Mr. Ahiagbah further alleged that the government is deliberately using state institutions to silence its critics through arrests. He argued that such actions undermine public confidence in Ghana’s democracy and threaten the democratic gains the country has sustained over the years.
“We have been very clear in our advocacy to the government that these kinds of arrest affect the spirit of our citizens in terms of confidence in our democracy… but it seems to me that this government is incorrigible,” he added.
According to Ahiagbah, young people must take a greater interest in preserving Ghana’s democracy, warning that the country’s democratic system is not impermeable at a time when democratic instability is becoming increasingly prevalent across the Sub-Saharan region.
“The youth should take interest in how this government is handling this democracy and that a government that is incorrigible such as this one is one that ought to be demonstrated against,” he said.
Mr. Ahiagbah maintained that safeguarding Ghana’s democratic gains requires active citizen participation and vigilance, particularly among the youth.
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Story by Emmanuella Ntowbea Marbell | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
