Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, says they are holding back for now on taking a hard line against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The South Dayi MP, however, insists the anti-corruption agency must improve its output or face serious scrutiny.
“We are staying our hands,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday.
His remarks come amid growing public questions about the OSP’s performance, particularly regarding its budget, resources, and prosecution record.
Mr Dafeamekpor said the office receives substantial state funding yet continues to report on investigations without delivering what he considers sufficient results.
“The Office of Special Prosecutor gets ¢250 million on average, every year and every day he will report that I’m investigating 15 cases, I’m looking at 20 other cases and prosecuting about seven,” he said.
“I think that we are not getting value for money.”
The Majority Chief Whip was quick to stress that his criticism is not an attack on the idea of an independent anti-corruption body.
He said he remains committed to the fight against corruption and understands why the OSP exists.
“It’s not as if we don’t value the essence of fighting corruption and corruption-related matters,” he said. He added that he was directly involved in creating the office.
However, he argued that the issue is not the institution itself but the performance of the office holder.
“So it’s about the office holder,” he said. “If the office holder can do more…”
Mr Dafeamekpor also reminded the public that Parliament has supported the OSP’s requests over the years, including proposals to expand its presence nationwide.
“He brought a report and said he wants to open regional offices. We supported him,” he said.
“He wanted to recruit about 250, or more special staffers, so that he can operate in the regions. We supported him.”
“But all those things haven’t happened,” he added. He further pointed to the resources Parliament approved for the OSP’s security and operations, including bulletproof vehicles.
“You ask for bulletproof vehicles. We agree that, because of the specialised nature of your work, we approve that you can use bulletproof cars for your operations,” he said.
“So a lot of your senior staffers, including yourself, you drive around in bulletproof cars.”
Mr Dafeamekpor said those approvals came with expectations. “We didn’t give you bulletproof cars not to deliver,” he said. “We expect that you will deliver.”
“But to sit in a bulletproof car and be prosecuting seven, eight cases is a no-no,” he stressed.
Asked if he still holds the view that the OSP is not providing value for money, he responded: “Yes.”
Still, he said, they are willing to give the office time to improve.
“We believe in the wisdom of the old man [President] who says, let’s give them a bit of time and see if they can improve,” he said.
He cited the OSP’s recent mid-year report as evidence of progress. “And they released their mid-year report. I think a couple of days ago. I’ve seen some improvement,” he said.
“This time, they are able to indicate the actual things,” he added.
“So when they tell you that we are saving money, actually, what’s the meaning of savings?” “So this time, they’ve changed the narrative,” he said.
“They’re able to point out properties and those that have been seized,” he added. “They know in their value.”
Dafeamekpor said the shift suggests the OSP can do better. “So I believe they can and will do more,” he said.
For now, he maintained, they are watching closely. “So for now we are staying our hands.”
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
