President John Dramani Mahama has asked the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip in Parliament Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor to withdraw a Private Member’s Bill seeking to repeal the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act.
The President’s request comes after his public endorsement of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as a key institution in Ghana’s fight against corruption.
Speaking at a meeting with the National Peace Council, he described the move to scrap the OSP as premature and stressed the importance of strengthening the office rather than dismantling it.
President Mahama urged the OSP to improve its efficiency and accelerate investigations to boost public confidence in its work. “I think it is premature to call for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. We should give them time, and I urge the office to speed up with its work,” he said.
The controversial repeal bill, introduced by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on December 8, 2025, proposed returning full prosecutorial authority over corruption cases to the Attorney-General.
Sponsors of the bill argued that the OSP has faced structural and constitutional challenges, duplication of prosecutorial functions, and high operational costs over the past eight years.
Critics of the bill, including President Mahama, have called for patience, emphasizing that the OSP plays a critical role in promoting transparency and good governance. The President also reaffirmed that dismantling the office at this stage could undermine Ghana’s anti-corruption framework.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson, confirmed the President’s request and reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening institutions that fight corruption.
