The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Professor Ransford Gyampo, has rolled out a bold set of cost-cutting and ethical leadership measures aimed at restoring financial stability and rebuilding public confidence in the institution.
Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Adom FM, Prof. Gyampo recounted inheriting a financially distressed authority. He explained further that this was in part due to polices under the former Akufo-Addo government which saw the consolidation of excess funds from state institutions to fulfill government obligations.
“The decision to pool institutional funds to pay bondholders and meet national commitments was necessary,” he said, “but it left institutions like ours gasping for air.”
In response to the dire financial situation at the Authority, Prof Gyampo has introduced what he calls an “innovative austerity agenda,” designed to promote fiscal discipline, operational efficiency, and ethical leadership.
Key initiatives under the agenda include:
- Travel Reforms: All non-essential foreign trips have been suspended. Any approved travel must be done in economy class, including by the CEO himself.
- Contract Reviews: Existing contracts have been reviewed, with some renegotiated or terminated to ensure value for money.
- Suspension of Incentives: Some staff incentives have been temporarily paused to align expenditure with the authority’s financial realities.
“I travel economy class—and so will everyone else. I might be the only CEO in Ghana doing this today,” Gyampo noted. “But it’s unethical to indulge in opulence while the institution I lead is bleeding.”
He revealed he uses an old official vehicle strictly for work and relies on his private car for personal engagements.
Reacting to allegations that he acquired a luxury massage chair for his office, Prof. Gyampo dismissed the claims as “ignorant propaganda.”
“That claim is not only false but senseless,” he stated. “Competent propaganda isn’t for little minds. We are here to work, not indulge.”
He praised President John Dramani Mahama for his inclusive approach to governance, saying his appointment as a non-party member shows the President’s commitment to meritocracy.
“The President has demonstrated courage by appointing people like me who are not aligned with his party. That shows seriousness,” he said.
Prof. Gyampo, who comes into the role with a background in academia and labour activism, said he intends to reshape the culture of leadership in public institutions.
“We won’t allow a sense of entitlement to fester and perpetuate wrongdoing,” he said. “We’re here to change the status quo.”
