Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) has announced its intention to picket at the Ministry of Finance over concerns related to the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract and the national ambulance deal.
ORAL, a prominent advocacy group, is demanding transparency and accountability from the government regarding these two critical agreements.
According to ORAL, the contract with SML, which was intended to enhance revenue assurance in the petroleum sector, has raised significant questions due to alleged irregularities in the procurement process.
The Convenor of the group, Osman Ayariga speaking at a press conference on Thursday, August 29, claimed that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) entered into the contract without securing the necessary approvals from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and Parliament, as highlighted in a recent audit report by KPMG.
In addition to the SML contract, ORAL is also concerned about the government’s handling of the national ambulance deal.
The group alleges that the procurement process for the ambulances, which were intended to improve emergency healthcare delivery across the country, lacked transparency and may have involved inflated costs.
ORAL is calling for a thorough investigation into the deal to ensure that public funds were used appropriately.
ORAL’s planned picketing at the Finance Ministry is intended to draw attention to these issues and press the government for answers.
The group has called on civil society organizations and concerned citizens to join the protest, emphasizing the need for greater accountability in the management of public resources.
“As a result, on the 4th of September 2024 (04/09/2024), the ORAL Brigade will be assembling at the Ministry of Finance to voice our demands and ensure that our concerns are heard. Our purpose is to urge the Minister of Finance to take immediate action to investigate these matters thoroughly, halt any questionable payments, and recover funds where necessary.”
“We believe that this picketing is vital to restore public confidence in our financial management systems and to reinforce the principle that public resources must be managed with the highest levels of integrity and transparency. This is just the first of many planned protests by the nation-conscious ORAL Brigade aimed at demanding accountability in public financial management,” he said.