Why government may recover only a fraction of $21 billion ORAL target—Bright Simons explains

The government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative could recover only $2.6 billion out of an estimated $21 billion in financial losses, the Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons has warned.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, February 15, 2025, he argued that while public support for ORAL is strong, legal and bureaucratic hurdles make large-scale recovery unlikely.

“A lot of people in this country are excited about ORAL. And I think those political actors who’ve made it a habit to try and caricature it are not attuned to public sentiment,” he said, cautioning the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) against underestimating public demand for accountability.

Mr. Simons estimated a potential recovery rate of 12.5%, translating to $2.625 billion.

He explained that many alleged cases involve wasteful spending rather than outright theft, making prosecution and fund recovery difficult.

“The starting point is: what problem are we trying to solve? And are the instruments we’ve designed a good match for that problem?” he questioned.

He also raised concerns about the Attorney General’s capacity to prosecute over 2,500 cases under ORAL, calling for better coordination among investigative agencies.

Mr. Simons questioned the transparency of the case selection process, warning that fairness concerns could weaken ORAL’s credibility. 

He also argued that tackling corruption requires more than just criminal prosecutions, urging the government to address systemic loopholes that enable financial losses.

With growing public frustration over corruption, he cautioned that failure to produce real results could backfire on the government.

“If ORAL is not executed properly, it risks becoming just another political slogan rather than a real solution to corruption,” he added.