The Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Awelana Addah, is urging President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive action in response to the recent controversy surrounding a cash donation made by Sammy Gyamfi, Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board, to Nana Agradaa, a former fetish priestess-turned-evangelist.
A video showing Gyamfi handing over an undisclosed sum of money to Agradaa during a public event has sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning the propriety of the donation given Agradaa’s controversial past. Sammy Gyamfi has since apologized, explaining that the donation was a private act of kindness that inadvertently went public.
According to Mary Addah, the incident highlights the need for stronger accountability frameworks for public officials.
“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 in an interview on Channel One’s Newsroom.
Mary Addah reiterated her call for the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, which would help to criminalize unethical behavior and reinforce higher standards for public office.
“We have had occasion to say that we would also want to see the Conduct of Public Officers passed, so that some of these behaviours can be criminalised,” she emphasized.
Noting that the current Code of Conduct lacks punitive measures to support disciplinary action, Addah said, “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.”
Addah also called on the President to issue a stern warning to public officials who have not yet declared their assets.
“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 said.
The controversy surrounding the cash donation has sparked a national conversation about the conduct of public officials and the need for greater accountability and transparency in government.