Crime is everywhere – Dafeamekpor slams OSP’s Accra-centred operations

Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has criticised the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for what he describes as an overly Accra-centred approach to fighting corruption.

The South Dayi MP insists that crime across the country cannot be tackled from the capital alone.

Speaking on PM Express on Tuesday, he said the OSP must expand its presence into the regions and districts if it wants to make a meaningful impact.

Responding to questions about his earlier criticism of the office and whether his views had changed after President John Mahama urged patience, Mr Dafeamekpor said he still believed the OSP had significant room for improvement.

“I believe in the wisdom of the president,” he said, adding that the President himself acknowledged that “the OSP could do better.”

According to him, the President had asked critics to “disengage” and allow the office another opportunity to prove itself.

“He said we should all give the OSPs a second chance, so that we give them time to blossom,” he stated.

But Mr Dafeamekpor argued that any meaningful progress would require the anti-corruption body to move beyond Accra and Tema.

“We’ve given them a mandate under the OSP Act to establish regional offices. Don’t be cocooned in Accra and seek to fight crime,” he said.

“Crime is not only coterminous to the people or the lifestyle in the Metropolitan Accra or Tema.”

He pointed to findings in Auditor-General reports as evidence that corruption and financial misconduct are widespread within district assemblies and state institutions across the country.

“If you check the Auditor General’s report, crime is pervasive in the district within the assembly, especially lots of pilfering and a deliberate decision on the part of public servants to simply ignore the law and do what they will do, and pilfer from the public purse,” he said.

The lawmaker argued that establishing district-level OSP offices would deter public officials.

“So, have district offices, also have regional offices to coordinate your offices in the various districts,” he urged.

“If every district knows that there is an OSP Officer resident in the district, certain things won’t happen in the assemblies, and some of the statutory agencies operating in the district would do things differently.”

Pressed on whether he still believed the office deserved more time, Mr Dafeamekpor answered in the affirmative, but warned that patience alone could not justify poor expansion and low output.

“Yes, but when you are not committed to expanding, then I have a problem with you,” he said.

“Then I will question why we give you so much money, and yet you are delivering so little.”

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)