Senior Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah has slammed the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for blowing the Sammy Gyamfi-Nana Agradaa dollar-gift saga out of proportion.
She attributes their boldness to President John Dramani Mahama’s leniency, saying it has given them the freedom to organise press conferences.
According to her, if the President had held them accountable for their own actions that negatively impacted the nation when they were in power, they wouldn’t have had the audacity to organise press conferences over the Sammy Gyamfi issue.
Speaking on TV3’s NewDay programme, the BigIssue segment on Thursday, May 15, 2025, the former General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) revealed that she frequently attended meetings with security agencies to respond to investigations into her media commentaries early 2017.
Rhodaline Imoru Ayarna, a public interest advocate who was also on the show, corroborated this claim, sharing that she was summoned by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for criticising the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
Nana Yaa Jantuah believes that if the NPP were held accountable for the mess they created, they wouldn’t have time to organise press conferences like they did when they were in opposition in 2017.
“If they had to report to EOCO in the morning, CID in the evening, and NIB at night, they wouldn’t be sitting down doing press conferences,” she stated, adding that destroying the nation’s fabric and mismanaging the economy, as per the constitution, are crimes in themselves.
She cited the depreciation of the cedi under the previous administration as evidence of economic mismanagement, calling it a crime that warrants accountability. “Ask them what they did to this nation,” she said.
“They brought the nation to its knees, with the dollar exchanging for GH₵17. We never imagined the cedi could appreciate against the dollar.”
She reiterated that the NPP’s freedom allows them to organize press conferences, unlike during their time when they faced frequent summons to state institutions like the BNI (now NIB), EOCO, and CID.
“I was going to BNI, EOCO, CID, everyday and I met people there. So, if they were in the same stead, they won’t have time. I personally attended those institutions daily and met others there,” she stated.
The dollar-gift controversy arose after Agradaa approached Sammy Gyamfi for money for fuel when the duo met at a funeral on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
According to Agradaa, Sammy gave her US$800, which sparked public outrage, especially after President Mahama launched a Code of Conduct for Public Officials a few days earlier.
Critics pointed to the video as potentially undermining the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, which emphasizes integrity, accountability, and transparency in public service.
Many party faithful were outraged after the incident, not over the gesture per se, but the person involved, who is a controversial religious figure claiming to be an evangelist after being previously arrested for defrauding many as a fetish priestess.
The Minority in Parliament and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) organised separate press conferences, demanding that the President either suspend or dismiss the Acting Managing Director of the Ghana Gold Board (GhanaGold), citing the dollar-gifting incident.
Sammy Gyamfi apologised for the incident and was invited by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to the Jubilee House to explain the circumstances.
However, the presidency accepted his apology and cautioned him on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, with the President deciding not to take further action according to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister of Government Communications.
Sammy Gyamfi saga: ‘Our hearts will run cold…’ – Nana Yaa Jantuah
