Habib Iddrisu criticises President Mahama’s request for withdrawal of Bill against OSP Act

First Deputy Minority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has criticised President Mahama for requesting two Members of Parliament to withdraw a Private Member’s bill they are drafting to repeal the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act.

Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor have initiated a Private Member’s Bill to abolish the act that established the OSP, arguing that the office has failed to serve its purpose and duplicates functions of the Attorney General.

In a memorandum dated December 8, they contended that “…operational experience since the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor has revealed persistent challenges, including the duplication of constitutional prosecutorial functions of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney-General, institutional friction and jurisdictional overlap resulting in delays and inefficiencies.”

They further stated that, “Other challenges include high operational costs of the Office of the Special Prosecutor with limited demonstrable impact relative to budgetary allocations, fragmentation of national prosecutorial policy and strategy and challenges in sustaining long-term institutional capacity due to parallel administrative infrastructure.”

Speaking on the floor of the House on Thursday, December 11, 2025 few hours after a statement from the Presidency, Habib Iddrisu denounced the move, arguing that the Executive has no authority to make such demands, highlighting independence of the three organs of government.

“Mr. Speaker because of the inadequate releases to Parliament and the Executive want to control Parliament, now the President is dictating to Members of Parliament.

“When the Majority Leader and the Majority Chief Whip file or intend to file a Private Member’s Bill, the President is telling them to withdraw. Because of what? We have the official letter from the Presidency to the Members of Parliament.

“Mr. Speaker, the Executive has no authority to dictate what happens in Parliament,” he stated.

Meanwhile, at a meeting with the Peace Council on Wednesday, December 10, President John Dramani Mahama opposed calls for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

Speaking at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, President Mahama explained that it is premature for anyone to demand the scrapping of the Office.

“That’s why we are resourcing the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the other anti-corruption institutions, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Recently, there have been some controversies surrounding the Office of the Special Prosecutor. I think it is premature to call for the closure of that Office,” the President stated.

The President said the OSP was uniquely established to fight corruption, noting that it is the only anti-corruption agency with prosecutorial powers and can prosecute without seeking authority from the Attorney-General.

According to him, unlike the Attorney-General, the OSP is not a partisan office but a neutral one established to fight corruption.

“The unique thing about that Office is that it is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to prosecute cases without going through the Attorney-General. People had mistrust for the Attorney-General because the Attorney-General is normally a member of government and a Minister of State, and so they believed that the Attorney-General would be reluctant to prosecute his own,” he stressed.