A Communications Team Member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Manasseh Atta Boahene, has accused former President John Mahama of weakening the integrity of his newly launched Code of Conduct by pardoning NDC National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, over the controversial dollar gift to Nana Agradaa.
Speaking on ABC In The Morning on ABC News GH on Thursday, Boahene said, “The president should ensure that going forward, when appointees go against [the code]… there should be more strict measures levelled against them.”
He warned that failing to punish breaches could make the code “toothless”.
Boahene stressed that “politics is entirely based on perception” and urged Mahama to prioritise public trust over political loyalty.
He stated that Mahama’s decision to let Gyamfi off the hook undermines accountability and signals a lack of seriousness in enforcing ethical standards.
According to him, decisive sanctions, rather than pardons, are what would boost confidence in the former president’s leadership and in the code itself.
Supporting this view, Political Scientist at Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Samuel Afriyie, also on ABC In The Morning, argued that Sammy Gyamfi should have faced suspension rather than a pardon.
He noted that “pardoning misconduct sends the wrong message” and could embolden others to misbehave without fearing real consequences.
Dr. Afriyie added that allowing public servants to simply apologise and walk free weakens discipline and erodes public trust in leadership.
He challenged Mahama to prove his commitment to ethical governance by enforcing the very code he introduced.
