Ishaq Ibrahim Esq., a lecturer at UPSA Law School and a member of the New Patriotic Party’s Communications Team, has condemned the apology issued by Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, over a controversial cash-gifting video.
In the viral footage, Mr. Gyamfi – also the NDC’s National Communications Officer – was seen handing an undisclosed sum of U.S. dollars to evangelist Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, popularly known as Nana Agradaa.
The incident drew widespread criticism amid Ghana’s economic hardships and sparked concerns that the gesture might breach the Foreign Exchange Act and the Code of Conduct for Public Office Holders.
Under mounting pressure from civil society groups and minority MPs, Mr. Gyamfi issued a public apology and received a formal warning from the Presidency.
President John Mahama accepted the apology and declared the matter closed.
However, speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Ibrahim rejected the apology as inadequate and “insulting,”
He argued that the apology was addressed only to Gyamfi’s party base, thus the NDC, rather than to all Ghanaians.
Mr. Ibrahim suggested that Mr. Gyamfi “take lessons” on how to apologize sincerely and cautioned against the political polarization such selective apologies can deepen.
He said, “This is actually an insult. He doesn’t see the need to apologise to all Ghanaians. His party people are the ones he is apologising to. Somebody in charge of our gold, not NDC gold, Ghanaians gold. He doesn’t even find the need apologise to all Ghanaians. Can you see how insulting it is? As I said, an apology is for the people and we have to be very careful the way we are dividing ourselves. It’s a bad apology, I think maybe he needs to take lessons on how to apologise properly”
