The Minister for Local Government Religious, and Chieftaincy Affairs and also a Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim, has called for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing that the institution has failed to deliver better anti-corruption outcomes than existing state agencies.
Debating the budget allocation for the OSP on the floor of Parliament, the MP who also serves as Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs questioned the effectiveness of the office, insisting that its performance under the former Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government did not match the work of traditional anti-corruption bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The Minister referenced Ghana’s scores on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) to support his argument.
He stated that the Akufo-Addo administration scored 40% and 43% at its highest points in the CPI, saying this represented the government’s best performance in the fight against corruption.
He contrasted this with figures from the John Mahama administration (2012–2016), noting that the then president recorded a best score of 48%, a mid-score of 47%, and a lowest score of 43%. According to him, “their highest in fighting corruption was 43% — our worst was that, so we are far better.”
The MP argued that the data exposes what he described as the ineffectiveness of the OSP, despite receiving political attention and expectations as the flagship anti-corruption institution under the NPP government.
The Banda MP further criticised claims that the previous administration starved anti-corruption institutions of resources, stating that the NPP’s own record did not support such allegations.
“You said the Special Prosecutor had no money, the Attorney General had no money. But what was your record? What did you achieve?” he challenged.
Calling for a policy shift, the Banda legislator proposed that the government should dissolve the OSP and channel its resources to already established anti-corruption bodies such as CHRAJ, EOCO, and the Office of the Attorney General.
He argued that these institutions have stronger structures, clearer legal mandates, and a more consistent performance history when compared with the OSP.
According to him, the evidence shows that CHRAJ and EOCO outperformed the Special Prosecutor’s Office in the eight years of President Akufo-Addo’s administration, even though the OSP was specifically established to lead the fight against corruption.
The debate over the future of the OSP continues to divide lawmakers, with some MPs defending the institution as a crucial independent body, while others, like Ahmed Ibrahim, argue that it has become redundant and costly.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
