Ghana’s Parliament is set to begin its second meeting of the year with a bold agenda focused on anti-corruption and financial accountability, signaling a shift toward aggressive legislative oversight of public funds.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga outlined the priorities in an address to the House, stating that the Majority Caucus will lead a series of high-profile probes into major financial scandals, including COVID-19 expenditure, the Agyapa Royalties deal, and the $190 million Power Distribution Services (PDS) controversy.
“This is not a witch hunt. This is a constitutional duty to safeguard the public purse,” Ayariga said. “Our democracy faces its greatest threat when impunity becomes the norm.”
In a departure from business-as-usual politics, Ayariga pledged that Parliament would adopt U.S.-style committee hearings to scrutinize suspected cases of systemic corruption. These hearings, he said, will be transparent and open to the public to build trust and ensure accountability.
The Majority Leader also placed the Office of the Special Prosecutor under the spotlight, promising that the House will demand progress reports on investigations and asset recovery efforts. Special focus will be placed on the $20 billion in financial crimes currently under review under the “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL) initiative.
Ayariga was particularly critical of the past administration’s reliance on sole-sourced procurement contracts, which he argued had been fertile ground for corruption. He assured Ghanaians that procurement procedures would now undergo stringent parliamentary scrutiny.
“This is about restoring confidence in governance, not settling political scores,” Ayariga added. “Our goal is to rebuild a system where justice, integrity, and accountability define public service.”
The parliamentary session is expected to table motions for independent audits and broadened oversight mechanisms as part of a renewed war on graft.
