Arise Ghana Begins Indefinite Picketing at U.S. Embassy, Demands Return of Ken Ofori-Atta
Story by Eugene Nyarko Jnr. l Accra l January 21, 2026
Pressure group Arise Ghana has commenced an indefinite picketing exercise at the Embassy of the United States of America in Accra, demanding the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana to face multiple corruption-related allegations.
The protest, which began on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, is initially structured as a 14-day action, with organizers indicating it will continue in phases until their demands are met.
Addressing the media at the protest grounds, Co-Convener of Arise Ghana, Marion Gifty Nyaaba, explained that the group would picket in “trenches,” noting that if no response is received from the U.S. government after the first two weeks, the group would give the Ghana Police Service the required notice and return for another fortnight.
According to her, the protest seeks to compel the U.S. government to return Mr. Ofori-Atta to Ghana to account for his stewardship as Finance Minister and to face what she described as seven to eight corruption-related cases.
Ms. Nyaaba clarified that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s reported detention in the United States is related solely to immigration violations, including alleged overstaying his visa, and not to the economic and corruption-related allegations he faces in Ghana.
“The issues the U.S. is dealing with are immigration matters. But in Ghana, there are serious corruption allegations that must be answered,” she stated.
She cited several matters, including the PDS power deal, the banking sector collapse, the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, pension “haircuts,” the alleged misuse of public funds, bond issuances, and the controversial National Cathedral project, as well as the impact of taxes such as the E-levy, emissions tax, and betting tax, which she said worsened the living conditions of Ghanaians.
Ms. Nyaaba argued that Mr. Ofori-Atta has a moral and constitutional obligation to account for public funds entrusted to him, insisting that his absence amounts to a denial of justice, accountability, and fairness to the Ghanaian people.
She further accused both Mr. Ofori-Atta and former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of policies that, in her view, caused economic hardship, increased unemployment, business collapse, and forced many Ghanaian youth to seek survival abroad.
On his part, Convener of Arise Ghana, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, said the sole objective of the protest is to ensure that Mr. Ofori-Atta returns to Ghana to “face the music” over what he described as economic hemorrhage caused during his tenure.
Mr. Mornah alleged that the former minister left Ghana on January 6, 2025, following a change in government, and has since failed to honour invitations from state institutions including the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), EOCO, the National Investigations Bureau, and the Attorney-General’s Department.
He dismissed claims that Mr. Ofori-Atta remains in the U.S. on medical grounds, stating that the former minister has recovered and is now allegedly seeking permanent residence in the United States.
“If he has committed no crime, what is he afraid of?” Mr. Mornah questioned, adding that the OSP has reportedly raised numerous charges against the former finance minister.
Mr. Mornah disclosed that during a recent court hearing in the U.S., a state attorney informed the judge that Ghana had formally requested Mr. Ofori-Atta’s extradition. He said the court subsequently adjourned the matter to April 27, 2026, to allow the extradition documents to be presented.
He maintained that immigration issues should not override Ghana’s demand for accountability, stressing that public office holders must not be allowed to evade justice by fleeing the country.
While calling for accountability, Mr. Mornah noted that his priority is not imprisonment but asset recovery, arguing that reclaiming alleged stolen funds would benefit the nation more than incarceration.
Arise Ghana insists it will sustain pressure on the U.S. government until Mr. Ofori-Atta is returned to Ghana to answer the allegations against him.
