President Mahama request withdrawal of anti-OSP bill

The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, and Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, have been asked by President John Dramani Mahama to halt their efforts to present a Private Members’ Bill that would abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

This was revealed in a statement released on Thursday, December 11, amid escalating public discussion following the two legislators’ drafting of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Repeal) Bill, 2025, which sought to abolish the position.

“President John Dramani Mahama has requested the Majority Leader and Majority Chief Whip in Parliament to withdraw the Private Member’s Bill tabled for the repeal of the Act establishing The Office of Special Prosecutor,” stated Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the President’s spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications.

“The President’s request follows his public expression of support for the strengthening of The Office of Special Prosecutor as a vital cog in the fight against corruption at a meeting with the Peace Council yesterday.”

The statement added that, “The President also reiterates his call on The Office of The Special Prosecutor to do more to boost public confidence in its work and frontally tackle corruption in line with the objectives informing the establishment of the office.”

However, the President had previously declared that it was too soon to close the office, arguing that it needed more time to fulfill its mandate.

The proposed bill, dated December 8, 2025, contends that during the previous eight years, the OSP has encountered structural and constitutional issues, such as operational inefficiencies and duplication of prosecution duties with the Attorney-General’s Office.

The draft legislation’s accompanying memorandum also argues that Parliament should reinstate the Attorney-General’s exclusive authority to prosecute cases of corruption in accordance with Article 88 of the Constitution, citing significant administrative costs and limited impact in relation to budgetary allocations.

Proponents of the repeal argue that having two distinct prosecutorial organizations has led to policy fragmentation, jurisdictional overlap, and needless delays in criminal cases.

They suggest that a more cogent and economical approach to combating corruption would be provided by a dedicated anti-corruption division inside the Attorney General’s Office.

In order to incorporate the OSP’s activities into the Attorney-General’s framework without incurring major additional costs, the bill proposes transitional solutions.

Read the full statement below:

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com