Minority expresses worry over Mahama’s position on OSP

The Minority in Parliament has questioned President John Dramani Mahama’s stance on the Office of the Special Prosecutor, describing it as a calculated public relations move.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Gushegu, Hassan Tampuli, who spoke on behalf of the Minority Caucus, challenged the sincerity of the President’s earlier remarks on the future of the OSP.

“We call it settings. It’s part of the settings,” he said, suggesting that the President’s public posture may not reflect the government’s true intentions.

Mr. Tampuli argued that the President’s statements praising the anti-corruption body contrast sharply with alleged behind-the-scenes actions aimed at weakening it. “You are praising something in public, and behind the scenes, you are seeking to uproot it,” he stated.

The Minority is demanding clarity on whether the President genuinely believes in maintaining the Office of the Special Prosecutor or is merely managing public perception.

“We are compelled to ask President Mahama, when he said that it was premature to abolish the OSP, did he really mean it?” Mr. Tampuli questioned.

He further suggested that the President’s intervention could have been a strategic attempt to calm public concerns while legal processes continued quietly in the background.

“Or was that intervention designed to merely manage public relations, while the real strategy, the constitutional litigation, and the Attorney General’s Supreme Court filings… was allowed to proceed quietly in the background?” he asked.

The Minority also referenced what it described as “coordinated” legal actions, raising concerns about possible efforts to challenge or dismantle the OSP through judicial means.

The caucus insists that the Ghanaian public deserves transparency on the matter and is urging the President to respond directly.

“The Minority calls on President Mahama to answer that question before the Ghanaian people,” Mr. Tampuli added.

Several Minority Members of Parliament were present at the briefing, standing in solidarity as concerns mount over the future of the country’s key anti-corruption institution.

This comes after a judge ruling effectively stripped the Office of Special Prosecutor of its prosecutorial power.

It should be noted that the OSP has appealed the ruling. Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has noted that the Justice Ministry is prepared to take over the cases pursued by the OSP.