He said the matter should be managed diplomatically, warning that frequent public commentary and disclosures risked undermining Ghana’s engagement with the United States.
“I think we are politicising a non-issue. It is not an issue to be politicised and to give currency to such news,” he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
Dr Danso, a former Dean of Students at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), argued that once Ghana had formally submitted an extradition request, the appropriate course was to allow legal and diplomatic processes to proceed without public attention.
“We have sent a request. There are rules to extradition, and I do not think it is proper for us to always be talking about it. For me, it is ridiculous. It’s the most ridiculous thing we are doing,” he said.
Dr Danso noted that extradition decisions rested entirely with the requested state and were guided by its domestic laws and international obligations.
He cautioned that constant public updates could backfire diplomatically and expose Ghana to embarrassment if the request failed.
“In diplomacy, the quieter you are, the better you navigate the waters. But the way we are doing things, I don’t think we are going to get him,” he said.
Dr Danso questioned the rationale behind official disclosures about consular engagements involving Mr Ofori-Atta.
“As soon as your citizen has a problem, you extend consular services, and that is what the Ghana Embassy did. The person said, ‘I don’t need you,’ and then we report on this. What was the report for? It wasn’t necessary at all,” he stated.
Dr Danso said the matter did not pose any immediate threat to national security or economic stability to warrant such intensity.
“It’s a different thing if it is a huge fugitive and our economy or security is at stake. Other than that, the hunt is not necessary,” he said.
The Attorney-General recently transmitted a request to United States authorities seeking the extradition of Mr Ofori-Atta in connection with ongoing investigations.
Ghana’s Embassy in Washington confirmed in a statement that Mr Ofori-Atta had been held by U.S. immigration authorities and that consular assistance had been offered, which he reportedly declined.
Dr Danso maintained that such developments did not require routine public reporting.
“We sent the request. Let our diplomats work on it quietly. We get him, we get him. If we don’t, we don’t. This thing doesn’t have to be printed everywhere,” he said.
GNA
