The Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Awelana Addah, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive action following public uproar over a controversial cash gift made by Sammy Gyamfi, Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), to Patricia Oduro Koranteng, popularly known as Nana Agradaa.
The gift which was reportedly made in dollars was captured in a widely circulated social media video showing Sammy Gyamfi handing over cash to Agradaa during a public interaction.
The gesture has since sparked intense debate among Ghanaians, many of whom have raised ethical questions about its appropriateness, given Agradaa’s controversial past and Gyamfi’s status as a public official.
In response to the backlash, Sammy Gyamfi issued a public apology, describing the gift as a “private act of kindness” that was never intended for public attention.
However, speaking on Channel One TV on Sunday, May 11, Mary Addah emphasized the need for a stronger accountability framework for public officeholders. She urged the President to use the incident as a moment to demonstrate his administration’s commitment to ethical governance.
“I believe that certainly, this is an opportunity for the President to demonstrate above and beyond that he means business by putting in place this Code of Conduct,” she said.
She further advocated for the urgent passage of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, which she argued would help criminalize unethical behavior and establish stricter standards of conduct for public officials.
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“In this instance, if you go to even the Code of Conduct, you do not see a lot of punitive measures that would be in place to support whatever it is that this gentleman has been cited for,” she noted.
Mary Addah also stressed the importance of going beyond symbolism and urged President Mahama to issue stern directives to public servants who are yet to comply with existing laws.
“This is a call on the President to perhaps issue a stern warning to those who have not declared their assets to do so. That, for me, shows commitment, a little not just for the optics,” she added.
