The controversial parliamentary effort to dismantle Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture has been abruptly halted, as Majority Leader Hon. Mahama Ayariga announced his decision to withdraw the Private Members’ Bill seeking to repeal the Act establishing the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The withdrawal follows a direct appeal from President John Dramani Mahama, who publicly cautioned the legislative body against what he termed a “premature” move that risked undermining the country’s fight against graft.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Ayariga assured the House that he would comply with the President’s request, effectively ending the contentious debate that had erupted since the bill was introduced just four days prior.
“I can assure you that I will take on board the request by His Excellency the President for us to think about our actions, and I can assure you that I have always had confidence in the wisdom of the President”
Hon. Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader
The move signals the Executive’s clear position that the OSP must be strengthened, not abolished.
The Private Members’ Bill, sponsored by Hon. Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip Hon. Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, was introduced on December 8, 2025.
The sponsors had argued that the eight-year-old OSP had become structurally problematic, was duplicating prosecutorial functions with the Attorney-General’s Office, and was consuming high operational costs without delivering commensurate results.
Their proposed remedy was to return full corruption prosecutorial authority to the Attorney-General, effectively dissolving the specialized anti-graft office.
However, President Mahama, speaking at a meeting with the National Peace Council, countered this argument, insisting that despite the office’s initial challenges, the focus should be on institutional strengthening. His intervention acted as a significant political check on the legislative maneuver.
Hon. Mahama Ayariga acknowledged the President’s political authority and wisdom in his decision to back down.
He further assured the House that the Majority leadership, including his co-sponsor, would “reconsider” their decision on the basis of the President’s public request, confirming the effective end of the repeal effort.
Institutional Strengthening
The reversal shifts the national conversation back to the necessary reforms required to make the OSP more effective, aligning with the President’s preference.
Proponents of the repeal, including the sponsors, pointed to the OSP’s limited impact relative to its high budget, jurisdictional overlaps, and procedural delays as signs of a fundamentally flawed structure.
Their argument was rooted in the idea of streamlining functions to enhance cost-efficiency and performance in fighting corruption.
President Mahama’s intervention, however, implies that the legislative focus should not be on cost-cutting or consolidation, but on shoring up the OSP’s independence and powers, ensuring it can operate without political interference to deliver justice impartially.
While the Majority Leader’s announcement confirms the political death of the repeal bill, the legislative process still requires formal completion. First Deputy Speaker Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, who also chairs the Private Members’ Motion Committee, confirmed that as far as Parliament’s internal procedures were concerned, the bill remains active.
“So far as we are concerned and what we have perused, the Bill is in the process, and will be given further consideration,” he noted. This procedural update means the official withdrawal by the sponsors must now be executed to fully remove the threat of dismantling the OSP.
The episode highlights the friction between the legislative push for reform and the Executive’s commitment to maintaining specialized anti-corruption institutions. The decision to withdraw, ultimately, reinforces the authority of the Presidency in shaping Ghana’s anti-corruption mandate.
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