If the President’s Code of Conduct means anything, Sammy Gyamfi’s time as Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) must end — and it must end immediately.
A now-viral video shows Gyamfi, a high-ranking political figure and presidential appointee, handing out US dollars from his vehicle to former fetish priestess Nana Agradaa in a moment he later described as “private generosity.”
This display, no matter the intent, is a violation not just of optics but of the very ethical principles laid out in the President’s own Code of Conduct for political appointees.And let’s be clear: this is not about kindness. It’s about standards — the kind the Mahama administration promised to uphold. Section 1.1 of the Code of Conduct mandates that all ministers and appointees, including CEOs of parastatals, “perform their duties and manage their personal affairs in a manner that can stand the closest public scrutiny” and “ensure that any conflict between personal interest and public interest is resolved in favour of the public interest”.
Why this matters
A person in Sammy Gyamfi’s position cannot afford this kind of reckless informality. According to Section 1.2(c), appointees must manage their personal affairs in a way that withstands “the closest public scrutiny” and must comport themselves “in a manner befitting the trust and confidence placed in [them]”.
In a context where public confidence in institutions is already low, this dollar-handing stunt — however “well-meaning” — severely undermines the integrity of a fragile public office.
What makes the situation even more untenable is that this occurred while Gyamfi holds stewardship over GoldBod — a program controversially positioned at the heart of the government’s economic revival plans. His actions give the impression of discretionary financial power, misuse of influence, and public performativity — the very things the Code warns against in Sections 1.5.5 (Influence Peddling), 1.5.6 (Transparency and Accountability), and 1.5.9 (Use of Budgetary Allocation).
What the President must do
Section 6 of the Code is unequivocal: the President shall determine a course of action for any appointee who breaches the Code. The list of actions includes requiring a public apology, issuing a reprimand, requesting resignation, suspension, or outright termination.Given the public nature of this breach and the potential to damage both the credibility of the GoldBod initiative and the new administration’s reformist image, the only appropriate option is immediate removal.
Failure to act will be read — and rightly so — as tacit approval of a system where appointees can blur the lines between public office and personal influence with impunity.
This is about more than one man
Yes, this is about Sammy Gyamfi. But it’s also about President Mahama. If he is serious about his own words — “I pledge to deal swiftly and decisively with any political appointee who breaches any of the standards set out in this Code” — then the response must match the rhetoric.
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This administration has made integrity its rallying cry. It now has a chance to prove that cry is not hollow. Gyamfi’s act, however private he thought it was, became a public moment of failure. The job of good governance is to ensure private lapses don’t become national embarrassments.
Come Monday, the Ghana Gold Board needs new leadership. No equivocation. No delays. No excuses.
The writer, Dr Prince Abbey is an entrepreneur and a finance professional.
