Code of Conduct should be 'shredded' if Sammy Gyamfi goes unpunished - NPP
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged President John Dramani Mahama to uphold the principles of the recently launched Code of Conduct for government appointees by taking a decisive action against the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi.
This follows Gyamfi’s act of gifting dollars to Nana Agradaa.
The NPP argues that this public display of wealth not only violates the provisions of the new Code of Conduct but also contravenes the Foreign Exchange Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, insisting that Sammy Gyamfi must face repercussions as outlined in these laws.
The NPP contends that Sammy Gyamfi’s conduct undermines the Code’s fundamental values of integrity, honesty, impartiality, respect, decency, accountability, competence, and professionalism and warns that any attempt to sweep the incident under the capet will render the Code "useless and must be shredded."
Press conference
The National Organiser of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye, addressing a press at the party's headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, May 13, stated that Section 1.2 of the Code of Conduct mandates Sammy Gyamfi to manage his personal affairs in a manner that can withstand the highest level of public scrutiny and uphold the integrity and reputation of the office he occupies.
"Unsurprisingly, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, like an incorrigible child, has blatantly violated both obligations under the Code and the President must, in accordance with Section 6 of his pledge, at page 9 of the Code, deal swiftly and decisively with Mr Sammy Gyamfi. It is important," he said.
"The act by Sammy Gyamfi, which has been condemned, and rightly so, by well-meaning Ghanaians and institutions, including international bodies and other CSOs, like the Transparency International, is a patent indiscretion, which breaches several laws of the land, and more importantly, mocks and makes nonsensical the recently enacted Code of Conduct by President Mahama," he stressed.
Lack of confidence
The NPP further stated that Sammy Gyamfi’s actions reflect a lack of confidence in the Ghanaian cedi, which remains the sole legal tender in the country.
“The law, both in letter and in spirit, prohibits the hoarding of foreign currency, as it recognizes only the Ghana cedi as legal tender. We do not operate a multi-currency system in Ghana — the cedi is the only accepted legal tender,” the party emphasized.
"You would recall that the Bank of Ghana has over the years issued several notices cautioning that without an authorization from the Bank of Ghana, no person is permitted to advertise, price, pocket, receive, gift, make payment of goods and services in foreign exchange including United States dollars and this action by the Bank of Ghana is important because it helps in stabilizing our cedi.
Cedi stabilisation concerns
The party also questioned how Sammy Gyamfi, who heads an institution touted by the government as central to stabilising the Ghanaian cedi, could be found keeping large sums of dollars in his car for routine use.
“It is particularly ironic that Mr. Gyamfi currently leads the Gold Board—an institution established to play a crucial role in stabilising the cedi by maintaining adequate gold reserves,” Nana Boakye stated.
They emphasized that one of the key justifications for the creation of the Gold Board was to centralize all gold-related transactions as part of efforts to strengthen the cedi. “This was a widely publicized argument in support of the Board’s formation,” they noted.
“If the CEO of such a vital institution—tasked with safeguarding reserves to help stabilize the currency—is personally transacting in dollars as part of his daily routine, it raises serious questions about the government's commitment and strategy. It suggests that this might be the prevailing mode of operation,” he said.
Source of funding
The NPP also raised serious concerns about the source of Sammy Gyamfi’s wealth, particularly in light of President Mahama’s own admission that appointees, including ministers, have not received their salaries since taking office.
“It is important to note that Mr. Gyamfi has not been paid any salary since his appointment. Therefore, the amount of money he was seen distributing appears grossly disproportionate to his known income,” the party stated.
The NPP further called on the President to immediately suspend Sammy Gyamfi from his role as Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, or at the very least, place him on administrative leave pending a full investigation by state criminal investigative bodies.
“We also demand a thorough investigation into Mr. Gyamfi’s tenure as Acting CEO of both the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) and the Ghana Gold Board. Law enforcement must search all his properties, scrutinize any assets he has acquired during his time in office, and, if he fails to justify the source of the large sums of money in his possession—some of which he was seen spraying publicly—he must be prosecuted accordingly,” the party asserted.
Huge salary
The NPP also raised concerns about the substantial salary and benefits received by Sammy Gyamfi in his role as head of the Ghana Gold Board, despite actions that, in their view, contradict the core objective of his office—protecting the value of the Ghanaian cedi.
“The state pays Mr Gyamfi a gross annual basic salary of GH₵ 1.5 million, subject to an annual review with a 15 per cent upward adjustment. In addition, he receives a clothing allowance equivalent to 15 per cent of his annual salary, paid once every year, among several other benefits,” the party revealed.
“As a responsible political party, the New Patriotic Party finds it necessary to speak out on critical issues in our democratic journey—not only to expose the truth behind the National Democratic Congress’ deceptive politics but also to reassure the people of Ghana of our unwavering commitment to the progress, unity, and prosperity of our nation,” he added.
