In a period when public confidence in state institutions is already stretched thin, nothing is more disturbing than the perception that the justice system is being wielded to wear down an individual rather than uncover the truth. That sentiment grew even stronger following the Attorney General’s recent press briefing on the government’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative. While many Ghanaians expected clarity and fairness regarding the alleged GHC548 million scandal at the National Service Scheme (NSS) between 2018-2024, they instead walked away with deeper concerns. The growing concern is that Osei Assibey Antwi is being made the sole scapegoat, despite evidence that the issue goes beyond him and includes others like Mustapha Ussif, who once oversaw operations of the Authority.
During the June 13 press briefing, Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine indicated that investigations had been completed and that twelve suspects, made up of Directors and Staff of the National Service Authority, were expected to face charges. In a case of such magnitude, the public naturally anticipates a transparent process in which all individuals mentioned are treated equally until the courts deliver their verdicts. However, the emerging picture is confusing. Although twelve individuals were initially linked to the investigation, only two now appear to be facing the full weight of prosecution. The others, despite their reported involvement, seem to have been quietly removed from scrutiny, with little explanation beyond the Attorney General’s remark about “small fishes and their willingness to testify against a certain big fish.”
This, I believe, raises a critical question: where are the likes of Mustapha Ussif, Kwaku Ohene Gyan, Abraham Bismarck Gaise, Eric Nyarko, Kwaku Adjei, Iddrisu Abubakar, Stephen Kwabena Gyamfi, Prince Awuku, Jacob Yawson, and the two unidentified individuals said to have been part of the list? The public does not demand immunity for wrongdoing but insists on a justice system that is not selective. When some individuals appear to be facing the full force of prosecution while others simply vanish from the process, suspicions naturally arise.
Concerns deepen when one considers the heavy bail condition imposed on Osei Assibey Antwi. Many observers describe it as unusually harsh, almost impossible to meet, and symbolic of a system determined to break a man even before he has his full day in court. To many citizens, it appears less like a balanced legal requirement and more like an attempt to exert maximum pressure on a single individual.
Public unease has also been fuelled by shifting figures surrounding the alleged financial loss. The Attorney General initially cited the amount as GHC548 million, yet later statements seem to suggest different numbers. Such inconsistencies do little to assure citizens that the process is grounded in precision and fairness. Instead, they raise questions about whether the confusion is deliberate or merely the result of poor communication.
For those who followed Osei Assibey’s leadership at the NSS, the developments feel especially unsettling. He is widely credited with implementing significant reforms, including increasing personnel allowances from about GHC500 to GHC715, establishing partnerships, supporting agricultural initiatives, and steering the Scheme towards full authority status. To see such a man portrayed as the central figure in a complex, multi-year scandal strikes many people as illogical. It is difficult for many to accept that one individual alone could misappropriate such a colossal sum within an institutional system that involves Accountants, Regional Directors, and Deployment Officers.
No one argues that corruption, if proven, should be ignored. However, justice must be administered fairly and even-handedly. What troubles many is not the pursuit of accountability but what appears to be its selective application. The optics of the case suggest a system eager to place the burden on one man, while others originally mentioned as suspects seem to have been quietly repositioned as witnesses.
I must admonish that as citizens, we must guard against the politicisation of justice. We must demand clarity, balance, and transparency. If Osei Assibey Antwi is indeed being unfairly singled out, time will vindicate him, and judging from public reactions, he may already be winning the sympathy of many who see in his ordeal a reflection of the broader struggle for fairness in our justice system.
The writer is a former National Service Personnel (NSP), Ho.
