The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has called on Ghanaians to avoid defining the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) by the personality of the individual occupying the position.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 29, the MP argued that public discussions about the OSP should focus on the institution, its legal mandate and its performance rather than the officeholder.
“We should avoid personalising the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). I listened to the press conference, and I was sad that you came and said that all that is happening is because of hatred for the occupant of the office. Very respectfully was below the belt,” he said.
“Why would you want to believe or make it seem that it is a personal matter against the occupant of the office?, While you take that position, it becomes very difficult for cooperation,” he added.
His comments followed the OSP’s recent press conference, during which the anti-corruption body declared its “rebirth” and reaffirmed its commitment to fighting corruption.
The discussion also examined emerging concerns, including what appears to be inadequate collaboration between the OSP and the Office of the Attorney-General.
Mr Awuah maintained that personalising the OSP could weaken public confidence in the institution and distract attention from broader questions about its effectiveness and relationship with other state agencies.
He called for the OSP to be treated as an enduring state institution whose credibility and operations should not depend solely on the person serving as Special Prosecutor.
