A member of the New Patriotic Party’s communication team, Eric Twum, has downplayed the relevance of a protest staged by pressure group Arise Ghana at the United States Embassy in Accra, describing it as a publicity stunt aimed at gaining attention rather than influencing legal outcomes.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, January 21, he argued that picketing at a foreign embassy does not alter judicial or administrative processes, insisting that such actions cannot be used to bypass established legal procedures in a civilised state.
According to him, the decision to protest at the U.S. Embassy was driven more by the desire for visibility than by any realistic expectation of results. He said the picket merely offers protesters “15 minutes of fame” without contributing meaningfully to accountability efforts.
Mr. Twum maintained that matters concerning the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, are already being addressed through the appropriate institutional frameworks, adding that public demonstrations do not accelerate or influence those processes.
He further criticised the use of public pressure at diplomatic missions, warning that such actions risk reducing serious legal matters to political theatrics. In his view, responsible civic engagement must respect due process rather than rely on symbolic protests.
“Going to the American Embassy to picket does not change anything, and it will not allow them to circumvent the legal processes simply because a group in Ghana decides to stand at the American Embassy to protest. That is not how a civilised legal country operates.
”Some of these things are done just to be seen; it is also an opportunity to get 15 minutes of fame. If I had a brother or sister who was going to picket at the American Embassy for Ken Ofori-Atta to be brought back, I would tell them to find something better to do because these processes are already being activated.”
His comments follow a picket organised by members of Arise Ghana on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, outside the U.S. Embassy in Accra. The group called on U.S. authorities to cooperate with Ghanaian institutions to ensure the return of Ofori-Atta to Ghana to face justice.
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