Repeal of OSP Act would be betrayal of trust- Kojo Asante
11th December 2025
Dr. Kojo Asante, Director of Policy Advocacy and Engagement at CDD-Ghana, has strongly criticised a Private Members’ Bill seeking to repeal the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act, 2017 (Act 959), calling the proposal a betrayal of public trust.
The bill, introduced by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, aims to return full prosecutorial authority over corruption cases to the Attorney-General, in line with Article 88 of the Constitution. Its accompanying memorandum argues that eight years of the OSP’s operations have exposed structural and constitutional challenges, including duplication of functions, jurisdictional conflicts, institutional friction and delays in the criminal justice process.
Reacting in a Facebook post on Thursday, December 11, 2025, Dr. Asante said he was “shocked and very angry” about the repeal effort.
“First thing on my mind today, December 11, 2025. If the NDC majority pushes this bill through Parliament, it will be the greatest betrayal of trust. I am shocked and very angry,” he wrote.
He continued: “This is not what was promised to Ghanaians in the fight against corruption. Ghanaians do not want this, so who are the MPs representing… themselves? Is that what the large majority in Parliament is going to be used for? Ghanaians must let all the MPs know on their socials that they represent us and not themselves.”
Dr. Asante also questioned the urgency of dismantling the OSP, saying the ongoing constitutional review process provides a better avenue for shaping Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture.
“Now I am convinced more than ever that we need an independent prosecutor for corruption matters. The fact that politicians on all sides have come out to support repeal, while the rest of society wants to keep the OSP, tells the story," he stated.
He warned that abolishing the OSP could undermine Ghana’s efforts to curb corruption.
“The sad part is that with all the threats to the stability of our state and democracy coming from the looting of public resources and impunity, this is what we think we should do to aid the fight against corruption. We have a much bigger problem for the future of this country," he said.