“Do you want to die in cells like J.B. Danquah?” – NDC Lawyer warns Ken Ofori-Atta
An NDC legal team member has sharply criticised former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, questioning his refusal to account for his time in office and warning of the lasting impact such actions could have on his family and legacy.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV on Monday, January 12, 2026, Lawyer Kojogah Adawudu said he could not understand why a former finance minister would avoid accounting to the people of Ghana, especially given the seriousness of the allegations surrounding his stewardship.
“Why are you running away?” Adawudu asked during the discussion. “For somebody who once occupied the finance position and understands stewardship, why can’t you come and account to the good people of Ghana?”
Adawudu went further to question what kind of legacy Ofori-Atta would leave behind if he continued to avoid accountability, describing it as a burden that could follow his family for generations.
“Is this what you want to leave for your children?” he asked. “That your father refused to account, that your father was uncovered, that your father stole the people’s money? Is that the inheritance you want to leave for your family?”
In a controversial comparison, the NDC lawyer referenced Ofori-Atta’s great uncle, J.B. Danquah, drawing parallels with historical narratives surrounding his detention during the era of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
“There is already a blot on the family narrative,” Adawudu said. “With all the stories around J.B. Danquah and what happened between him and Nkrumah, including his unfortunate death in detention, is that the same story you want to repeat and pass down through generations?”
Adawudu also criticised Ofori-Atta’s conduct in relation to law enforcement, insisting that submitting to investigations would not amount to humiliation.
“If you are invited by the police and you go willingly, they won’t put handcuffs on you,” he said. “I was surprised when the Office of the Special Prosecutor once described him as a fugitive, but his own conduct today tells you that he is running.”
He added that Ofori-Atta’s Christian faith should compel him to face scrutiny rather than avoid it.
“As Christians, we know this world is not our home,” Adawudu said. “At the end of the day, we all give an account of our stewardship. So why are you refusing to account now?”
The discussion on the programme followed recent reports of Ofori-Atta’s detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over issues relating to his visa status, a development that has reignited public debate about his legal and political troubles both at home and abroad.