Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has described former Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta as “a representation of what is wrong with all of us as black people.”

Manasseh’s argument is based on his belief that his stewardship of Ghana’s public resources reflects a deeper moral and structural failure across leadership on the continent.

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Speaking on TV3 on December 20, 2025, Manasseh said the problem goes beyond one individual and instead exposes how African elites manage power while insulating themselves from the consequences of their decisions.

“At the end of the day, citizens have their right to call for action. And for a long time, I think our democracy has been the way it is because citizens have abdicated that right, and also responsibility, to hold duty bearers accountable,” he said.

He warned against the culture of resignation, where citizens assume that once institutions announce action, their role is over.

“If we all go to bed and say, well, the Attorney General has triggered some action, that is it, if something happens, fine; if nothing happens, fine, it is very likely nothing will happen. But if there is pressure from the citizens, and those representing us at the AG’s department, at the OSP, are also minded to act based on that pressure, and the international community knows that when there are criminals here in our country and we are requested to bring them, all the state agencies do everything they can,” he stated.

Manasseh contrasted this apathy with the efficiency Ghana displays when responding to international requests.

He questioned why similar urgency is lacking when powerful figures who managed national resources for years are accused of wrongdoing. Referring to Ken Ofori-Atta’s long tenure overseeing Ghana’s budget and expenditures, Manasseh argued that selective accountability undermines public trust.

“I’m told this year alone; we sent nine people to the US. These are not people we hate, but they are people who must face justice. And if we are sending so-called, let’s say, petty criminals out, and then we have someone who’s superintended over our resources for seven years or even more, the budget, expenditure, everything, and then he is able to misuse our resources this way,” he argued.

He added “COVID-19 nearly killed him, but for the US, he came there, got good healthcare. If American politicians were dissipating their funds the way we do back home, were giving, doling out these funds to deals such as SML, I don’t think they would have built those hospitals that Ken Ofori-Atta had to run to when COVID-19 complications nearly killed him. He came to the US, got all this support, and when he came back, he did not have the presence of mind to say, ‘Look, but for the US, I would have died. So let us channel these resources to improving our healthcare, building hospitals.’

“But he went on to spend this money the way he did. And when he left power, he’s come back here, the average person in Ghana goes to the hospital, and that person is likely to die because there’s no MRI machine to diagnose them. Very basic equipment, they are not there.”

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Manasseh argued that Ofori-Atta is symbolic of a broader leadership problem across Africa.

“So, Ken Ofori-Atta represents all that is wrong with us, not only Ghana but as a Black race, because all the time we tend to say the whites are cheating us of resources. But if you look at how we manage our own resources and our elites, they have, in a way, insulated themselves from the suffering of the people…” he stated.

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has stated that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta "is a representation of what is wrong with all of us as black people."#GhanaTonight #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/GSszWTcDAN

— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) December 19, 2025