From its inception, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) was billed as a revolutionary step in Ghana’s fight against corruption.
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo championed its creation with great fanfare, claiming it would serve as an independent watchdog to hold the powerful accountable.
But time has exposed what many suspected all along: the OSP was a political project cloaked in the rhetoric of justice.
Let’s be clear: this office was flawed from the start. It was not born out of a genuine commitment to uproot corruption but rather as a tool of political theater, designed to appease public outcry and target opposition figures under the guise of impartiality.
The appointment of Mr. Martin Amidu as the first Special Prosecutor was hailed as a masterstroke.
A known critic of his own party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Amidu’s selection was calculated to signal neutrality. But that appearance quickly faded.
Once in office, Amidu’s mandate seemed to focus heavily on pursuing alleged wrongdoing within the NDC.
The moment he shifted his lens toward the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), the temperature changed.
The administration’s enthusiasm for “independent prosecution” cooled, and Amidu’s efforts were met with resistance.
His eventual resignation confirmed what many feared: that the office was never meant to be truly independent — it was tolerated only as long as it didn’t touch the ruling elite.
And what do we have to show for all this political drama and public expense? After spending close to GHS 300 million, the OSP has little to boast in terms of concrete convictions or meaningful accountability.
It has become another bloated bureaucracy, overlapping with the Attorney General’s office and offering no significant added value except perhaps as a PR tool during election seasons.
Ghana doesn’t need another flashy institution to prove its commitment to fighting corruption. What it needs desperately is an Attorney General with a spine — one who acts without political fear or favour.
One who applies the law equally, whether it implicates a member of the ruling party or the opposition. A truly independent-minded Attorney General would serve this country far better than a Special Prosecutor shackled by political calculation.
Until we embrace that uncomfortable truth, we will continue to pour scarce public funds into institutions that serve appearances rather than justice. The OSP, as it stands, is not a beacon of accountability. It is a monument to political convenience, and the people of Ghana deserve far better.
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