“I Love the OSP, But It Has Become a Costly Office With Little Return” — Dafeamekpor Raises Concerns Over Efficiency of Anti-Corruption Office
Credit: myjoyonline
Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has rejected suggestions that he is opposed to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), insisting his concerns are rooted in cost-effectiveness and not a desire to see the anti-corruption body abolished.
The South Dayi MP clarified during an interview on Joy News, where he was reminded of earlier parliamentary efforts linked to moves to scrap or restructure the OSP.
He acknowledged the legislative history but said his position has often been misunderstood.
“If you read the Hansard, it is the passage of the OSP bill that gave people like me a name in Parliament,” he said. “I made my name in Parliament because of how immense I was in the formulation of that law.”
Mr Dafeamekpor explained that his long-standing concern has been about the value derived from the institution relative to its cost, rather than opposition to its existence.
According to him, the debate should focus on how best to deploy public resources for anti-corruption work, particularly in comparison with the Office of the Attorney General.
He argued that with adequate resourcing, the Attorney General’s Department could deliver broader prosecutorial outcomes, including at the district level, through a decentralised model.
In 2025, he noted, the OSP received about GH¢267 million in budgetary allocation, compared to GH¢144 million for the Attorney General’s Department — a disparity he believes calls for closer scrutiny.
“If we add the OSP budget to the Attorney General’s budget, the Attorney General is capable of doubling his efforts,” he said.
Mr Dafeamekpor added that his proposal is not aimed at weakening anti-corruption efforts but rather improving efficiency and outcomes in the justice system.
His comments come amid renewed debate over the role, mandate, and funding of the OSP, which has remained a central institution in Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture since its establishment under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
