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President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed growing calls for the abolition of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), insisting the anti-graft institution remains crucial to Ghana’s fight against corruption.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, President Mahama said it was “premature” for anyone to propose shutting down the OSP.
“The unique thing about that office is that it is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to prosecute cases itself without going through the Attorney-General,” he said.
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According to the President, public mistrust of the Attorney-General’s office—owing to its direct role within government—makes the independence of the OSP even more essential.
“People believe the Attorney-General will be very reluctant to prosecute his own. But if there is an independent office like the Office of the Special Prosecutor, it won’t matter who you are,” he noted.
President Mahama, however, urged the OSP to speed up its investigations and prosecutions to rebuild public trust.
“People want to see more prosecutions and more results. I will just urge the OSP to speed up some of these investigations and show that the office is still very relevant,” he added.
The President’s remarks follow renewed pressure from key political and legal figures calling for the dissolution of the OSP.
On December 4, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga told Parliament the institution had failed to achieve its mandate eight years after its creation. He questioned the constitutional foundation of the OSP and argued that Parliament must rethink the decision that led to its establishment.
At the same sitting, Speaker Alban Bagbin criticised the continuous allocation of large budgetary resources to the OSP, insisting the office has not delivered commensurate value for the investment made.
Some legal heavyweights—including former Ghana Bar Association President Sam Okudzeto—have also supported calls for scrapping the OSP, arguing that the office has not fulfilled its purpose and risks becoming a drain on state resources.
Despite the criticisms, President Mahama maintained that the OSP’s mandate and independence are essential pillars of Ghana’s governance and accountability architecture. He emphasised that strengthening, rather than dismantling, the institution would better serve the fight against corruption.
The debate over the future of the OSP is expected to intensify as Parliament continues its review of proposals relating to the office’s mandate, powers and performance.
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