Many Ghanaians, especially supporters of the ruling government, believe that the Attorney-General’s recent attempt to take over the OSP’s prosecutorial powers is linked to the desire to effectively prosecute Ken Ofori-Atta, a case which, according to them, is gradually bringing embarrassment to the government after months of loud calls for his crucifixion at all costs.

I laugh at this thought, and at the same time, I am disappointed. It shows how hatred for a man can cloud judgment and blind people to the real issues confronting those in power today.
Let me be clear — this is not about Ken Ofori-Atta.

If it were, then by now Ken Ofori-Atta would have been formally charged, the SML-related cases would have seen real progress, and the loud accusations would have translated into actual court proceedings.
But what do we see? Silence. Stalled processes. And a narrative that is slowly fading.

So what has changed?

I believe reality has set in. The same OSP that was celebrated when it was going after former officials now appears to have real reach. And suddenly, that reach is uncomfortable.

It is therefore not surprising when Martin Kpebu describes the Supreme Court’s ruling that the OSP lacks prosecutorial powers as a “sweet decision.” Of course, it is sweet — because in their minds, it helps prevent the same style of prosecution that was used against Ken Ofori-Atta, Kwabena Adu Boahene of the Signals Bureau, Cecilia Dapaah, and others from being applied to them.

Initially, they lost focus. They thought it was good politics. They saw it as an opportunity to gain political capital by dragging individuals like Ofori-Atta through the mud for what, in many instances, lacked real substance. They supported and pushed alongside the OSP when it suited them. Now, they want to strip it of power.

We all saw what happened. Demonstrations were organised, including gatherings at the U.S. Embassy. Social media was flooded with all manner of claims. A narrative was carefully built. People were judged and condemned in the court of public opinion long before any court of law had the chance to speak.
Chairman Wontumi has also been dragged in the same manner — judged publicly before even pleading.

The pattern is familiar.

But now, the tone has changed.

Less than two years into their rule, several corruption-related issues have begun to surface, and these issues should give any serious observer cause for concern.

Let me highlight a few:

• Sole sourcing under the Big Push project, including approvals granted to companies with only one employee in some instances.
• Gold transactions involving undisclosed parties, where the state is said to have sold at lower prices and bought back at higher prices, have led to significant losses.
• The sale of state lands and resources to themselves raises serious governance and accountability concerns.
• Overpriced road contracts under the same Big Push programme.
• The NPRA’s ballooned expenses of over GH¢8 million, excluding tuition, logistics, and other incidental costs not disclosed.
• Conflict of interest concerns involving the President and his brother in transactions relating to state resources.
  Now pause.
  When it was Nana Addo and Ken Ofori-Atta, the mere association with Data Bank — a company that had long worked with successive governments — was treated as a serious conflict of interest. It was used as a basis to attack and discredit them.
  But today, when similar or even more direct issues arise within the current administration, we are told everything is fine.
  So when it is NPP, it is corruption. When it is NDC, it is governance? How is this acceptable?
  What is even more surprising is the silence — or selective commentary — from civil society. Institutions and individuals who were once very vocal now appear quiet. Even voices like Franklin Cudjoe and Imani Ghana seem to find little wrong today.
  Are these issues no longer important? Or does accountability now depend on who is in power?
  So again, this is not about Ken Ofori-Atta.
  Because the facts are clear:
• He has not been formally charged.
• The cases linked to SML appear stalled.
• The loud narrative around ORAL is beginning to look like what many suspected — noise without substance.
  He was hanged and crucified in the public space, even when he was seriously ill and seeking medical care. He was given no peace.
  For me, Ken Ofori-Atta remains an innocent man until proven otherwise, and what we are seeing is already pointing in that direction. He is no longer on any INTERPOL Red Notice. He is no longer in ICE custody. Step by step, the narrative is changing. He will overcome.
  We saw similar pressure applied in cases involving Cecilia Dapaah, Kwabena Adu Boahene, and others.
  Come to think of it, the country appears to be pursuing a man who has not been charged on any count, while Sedina TamakloeAttionu — who was charged, convicted in absentia by an Accra High Court in 2024, and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for causing nearly GH¢90 million in financial losses during her tenure as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016 — was never placed on an INTERPOL Red Notice.
  The level of urgency and coordination seen in attempts to bring Ken Ofori-Atta back to Ghana contrasts sharply with what was observed in the case of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
  So if this is not about Ken, what is it about?
  It is about political risk.
  Because the same OSP, if left fully empowered, can turn its attention to current actors. The same standard they set can be applied to them. The narrative can shift. Public confidence can be affected. And the consequences could extend into future elections.
  That is the real concern.
  The good book says, “He who has no sin should cast the first stone,” and also that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
  If today there is an attempt to retreat, to weaken institutions, or to change direction midway, then it must be understood that actions have consequences.
  You cannot weaponise a system today and expect it to remain harmless tomorrow.
  Whether or not the OSP is weakened, whether its powers are restructured, one thing remains certain — truth does not disappear. It only takes time to reveal itself.
  Ghanaians will eventually demand answers.
  Let this sink.