President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to give the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) more time to fulfill its mandate, stating that calls for the office’s closure are premature.
President Mahama stated that he disagrees with calls to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor during a meeting with National Peace Council members at the Presidency on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
He clarified that the office’s ability to pursue cases without consulting the Attorney General gives it a unique position in the nation’s anti-corruption framework.
“I think it is premature to call for the closure of that office,” he said.
The President stated that the office was established to allay popular skepticism in the Attorney General’s Department, pointing out that many Ghanaians thought an Attorney General who had held public office would be reluctant to prosecute government officials.
“People had mistrust for the Attorney General because the Attorney General normally is a member of the government and is a Minister of State. They believe the Attorney General would be reluctant to prosecute his own,” he said.
Video courtesy of @Graphicgh
He said that the public was reassured by an independent office with its own attorneys and tenure security that misconduct would be investigated regardless of the parties involved.
“I think we should give them a little time,” he said.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organized Crime Office are two anti-corruption agencies that President Mahama stated his administration planned to bolster.
He stated, “That is why we are resourcing EOCO and the other anti-corruption institutions, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor.”
As Ghana sought to prevent the governance shortcomings that had led to military takeovers in some parts of West Africa, he said accountability remained crucial.
“I do not enjoy prosecuting people. But the people of Ghana will not forgive us if people develop impunity in terms of abusing the trust placed in them,” he continued.
Source: newsthemegh.com