Mahama directs Ayariga, Dafeamekpor to withdraw bill against OSP act

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, to withdraw a Private Member’s Bill seeking to repeal the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) and abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The directive was announced in a statement issued by the Presidency on Thursday and signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu. The statement said the President’s instruction reflects his firm position on reinforcing, rather than dismantling, institutions mandated to fight corruption.

According to the Presidency, President Mahama emphasised that “the Office of the Special Prosecutor remains a vital cog in our national effort to confront corruption head-on.” He urged the OSP to scale up its work, stating that “the office must continue to take steps that enhance public confidence and deliver effectively on its mandate.”

The statement also noted that the President is committed to improving the OSP’s operational capacity, adding that “strengthening the institution—not abolishing it—is the responsible path forward.”

The directive comes a day after his engagement with the National Peace Council, during which he reiterated his position that proposals to abolish the OSP were premature. At that meeting, President Mahama stated plainly: “It is too early, and indeed premature, for anyone to call for the abolition of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.”

The President’s directive follows the drafting of a Private Member’s Bill by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor seeking the repeal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act and the dissolution of the OSP.

The proposed legislation, titled the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Repeal) Bill, 2025, has not yet been formally laid before Parliament.

A memorandum accompanying the draft bill argues that the OSP has not delivered the expected results since its establishment, citing duplication of prosecutorial functions with the Attorney-General, institutional friction, jurisdictional overlaps, and high operational costs relative to its impact.

The bill proposes consolidating all prosecutorial authority for corruption and related offences under the Attorney-General, in line with Article 88 of the Constitution. It also outlines transitional arrangements, including the transfer of staff, assets, liabilities, case files and ongoing investigations from the OSP to the Attorney-General.

Under the proposal, OSP staff would be integrated into the Attorney-General’s office under terms not less favourable than their existing conditions, while ongoing cases would continue under the Attorney-General’s authority.

The emergence of the draft bill coincided with President Mahama’s remarks on Wednesday, December 10, where stated that calls for the abolition of the OSP are “premature and unjustified.”