Mary Awelana Addah, the Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to take strong measures in response to the public outcry concerning a contentious cash donation given by Sammy Gyamfi, Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), to Patricia Oduro Koranteng, widely known as Nana Agradaa.
The present, said to have been in dollars, was recorded in a popular social media video depicting Sammy Gyamfi giving cash to Agradaa during a public engagement.
The action has since ignited heated discussion among Ghanaians, many of whom have posed ethical inquiries regarding its suitability, considering Agradaa’s contentious history and Gyamfi’s role as a public figure.
In reaction to the criticism, Sammy Gyamfi released a public apology, characterising the gift as a “personal gesture of goodwill” that was not meant to attract public scrutiny.
Nevertheless, during an appearance on Channel One TV on Sunday, May 11, Mary Addah highlighted the necessity for a more robust accountability system for those in public office.
She encouraged the President to leverage the incident as an opportunity to showcase his administration’s dedication to ethical leadership.
She additionally pushed for the swift enactment of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, which she claimed would assist in criminalising unethical conduct and implement tougher standards of behaviour for public officials.
“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 emphasised the need to move past mere symbolism and called on President Mahama to give strict orders to public servants who have not yet adhered to current 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.
NKONKONSA.com
