National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has asserted that the members of parliament from the NPP (New Patriotic Party) were compelled to support the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 (anti-LGBTQ+ bill) due to pressure from the constituents of Assin North.
He claims that the Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were intentionally delaying the passage of the bill until the Assin North election took place.
During the NDC’s celebratory rally to mark their victory in the Assin North by-election, Sammy Gyamfi asserted that it was the choice of Assin North voters to reject the government that compelled the MPs to reconsider their positions.
“After the people of Assin North taught them (the NPP MPs) a small lesson during the by-election they have changed their minds. During the second reading of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Parliament, they all raised their hands in support after they were initially hesitating.
“It was only one person who spoke against the bill, her name is Ursula Owusu,” he said in the Twi dialect.
He added that if the government has truly learnt a lesson from the people of Assin North, it should withdraw the suits it has sent people to file in court against the bill.
Meanwhile, the MP for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has said that only one of the three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs, who were initially supporting the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill, stayed loyal to the drafting of the bill.
Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on Thursday, July 6, 2023, Sam George said that the NPP MP who stayed loyal to the course was the MP for Assin South and Deputy Minister for Education, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour.
According to him, the other NPP MPs who were initially sponsoring the bill failed to attend meetings to draft the bill and even missed the final presentation of the bill to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, because of the pressures they were under.
The MP made these remarks while reacting to a statement by Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, the MP for Asante Akim, who was part of the NPP MPs initially sponsoring the anti-LGBTQI bill, that he was not present for the presentation of the bill because he was busy.
“He had sixteen meetings to put together the bill with the coalition. Ask him (Andy Appiah) Kubi whether he attended any of these meetings. Every time, they have an excuse to give, even on the day of the presentation they want to give an excuse.
“If today all of them are now on board, they are welcome. But I would continue to celebrate Honourable Ntim Fordjour because on that day (the day of the presentation of the bill) we knew the pressure that he came under but he said he was a priest and he believed it was the right thing to do,” Sam George said.
Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the Assin North by-election due to three initiatives taken by the ruling party, according to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
NDC National Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, explained that ahead of the by-election on June 27, the NPP undertook three actions namely; Deception, Inducement and Violence with the acronym “DIV”.
According to him, with regards to deception, the NPP unknowingly sold NDC’s James Gyakye Quayson while warning electorates of the possibility of him being imprisoned over the allegations of perjury and forgery.
“In their campaign, the ‘D’ was, don’t vote for Quayson, he lied to you. They (NPP) were spending about 30 minutes explaining why Gyakye Quayson will go to jail,” he said.
Another reason the NPP lost was due to the amount of money dashed to electorates, Mr Gyamfi said.
“They thought that the people of Assin will sell their conscience and mandate for a pittance for their 200 and 300 cedis most of which were misappropriated by the people they entrusted them with. When we were busy campaigning in the midnights, I would always see them by the roadside eating “chinchinga” (beef sewers) and dancing and drinking beer with their women and all that. Their only hope was that we are going to deceive this people”.
He also accused the NPP of orchestrating violent activities that ensued during the by-election. Per reports, the vehicles of Mr Gyamfi and other NDC executives were attacked.
“You saw how they deployed their hooligans, bandits and their thugs on the election day and how they sort to intimidate us and sort to attack some of us, shot into our cars, vandalized our cars but we and the good people of Assin were resolute throughout the process”
Mr Gyakye Quayson on Tuesday, June 27, beat his closest contender, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North by-election by obtaining 17,245 votes out of the total valid votes of 29,962, representing 57.56 per cent.
Mr Charles Opoku, on the other hand, garnered 12,630 of the votes cast, representing 42.17 per cent while Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes.
Two executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were attacked on Tuesday in Assin Praso amidst the Assin North by-election.
Per reports, NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, and his deputy, Malik Basintale were victims of an attack allegedly orchestrated by members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a viral video on social media, the vehicle said to be that of Sammy Gyamfi’s had its rear window damaged in what looked like a gunshot. Mr Malik Basintale’s vehicle was in a far more devastating state.
As usual they are on a attacking spree because they know they are losing.. Sammy Gyamfi, George Opare Addo and Malik Basintale entourage are victims of their attacks.. NPP never again pic.twitter.com/MMaD3glhtF
— John Mahama Is The Solution❤️🇦🇪 (@Royal1Kingly) June 27, 2023
The Assin North by-election has not been devoid of violence and indiscipline by some electorates.
Two individuals who posed as a security personnel have been apprehended.
On Sunday morning, the NDC Flag-bearer, John Dramani Mahama, paid a visit to the husband and family of a party member who tragically lost her life in an accident in Dansame, locatedwithin the Assin North Constituency.
Accompanied by the NDC Parliamentary candidate for the Assin North by-election, James Gyakye Quayson, as well as national, regional, constituency executives, and members of parliament, the delegation expressed their condolences to the grieving family.
They also announced the party’s assistance and support as the family prepares for the burial and funeral ceremonies of the deceased.
A statement issued by the National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi said the family was presented with an amount of GH¢5,000 to assist with preperations towards the funeral rites of our deceased comrade.
Mr Mahama and James Quayson also visited the injured victims at the Praso hospital to check on their recovery.
This was after the former President suspended his Assin North campaign yesterday, to visit those admitted at the Fosu hospital upon hearing news of the ghastly accident, the statement added.
“The hospitals bill for the treatment of all injured persons at the Praso and Fosu hospitals, have been fully paid and an amount of money deposited to cater for any incidentals by theNDC Flag-bearer,” it further said.
The NDC’s Parliamentary Candidate for the Assin North By-elections, James Gyakye Quayson promised to institute a sustainable support scheme for the children of the deceased.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana recently urged citizens to disregard what the commission deemed as “baseless and unfounded” allegations made by Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), regarding the upcoming by-election in Assin North.
Sammy Gyamfi had asserted that the Electoral Commission is relying solely on the 1992 constitution to determine the qualification of parliamentary candidates.
He argued that the provisions of CI 127, specifically the Nomination Form, should also be taken into consideration.
In a press release, the Commission refuted Gyamfi’s claims and emphasized its adherence to the constitutional guidelines in determining parliamentary candidates’ eligibility.
However, the response from the EC has sparked a reaction from Koku Anyidoho, former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, who has expressed his displeasure with Gyamfi’s allegations.
Taking to social media, Anyidoho referred to him as a “demon” and accused him of intentionally tarnishing the party’s image.
In his social media post on June 7, 2023, Anyidoho shared the EC’s response stating, “So, when will my people stop this blatant and needless pouring of stench on the image of the Party? It is obvious that the ‘demons who crept into the Party…’ are on a mission to destroy the Party.
“How can a revolutionary party now be reduced to such rubble? I weep for NDC,” he questioned.
The Electoral Commission has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of attempting to impugn its reputation with the 2020 election petition.
The EC in a statement dated June 6, 2023 cited the 2020 election petition filed by John Dramani Mahama as one of the proofs of its allegation against the NDC’s maligning.
“Over the years Sammy Gyamfi and his party have put out false claims aimed at maligning the integrity of the EC.
“This was evident in their petition to the Supreme Court after the 2020 Elections alleging that they had won the Elections. It is well known that they could not provide evidence in Court to support their allegations.
“This current allegation is no different. It is baseless and unfounded and a figment of the imagination of the National Communication Officer. We call on all well meaning Ghanaians to ignore it,” the EC statement read in part.
The statement titled “RE: ELIGIBILITY OF QUALIFIED NPP PARLIAMENTARY ASPIRANT IN THE ASSIN NORTH BY-ELECTION,” was to respond to a recent allegation that the EC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were colluding to give an NPP aspirant an advantage in upcoming by-election in Assin North.
The elections management body asked Ghanaians to ignore the ‘baseless and unfounded’ allegations of Sammy Gyamfi adding that Sammy Gyamfi should provide concrete evidence of his claims or “leave the EC alone.”
Read the EC’s full statement
RE: ELIGIBILITY OF QUALIFIED NPP PARLIAMENTARY ASPIRANT IN THE ASSIN NORTH BY-ELECTION
The attention of the Electoral Commission has been drawn to another misleading statement by the National Communication Officer of the NDC.
The Commission in its previous response to the National Communication Officer, stated that per Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution, a person qualifies to contest as a candidate for a Parliamentary Election so long as he is a registered voter, at least 21 years of age, hails from or, is a resident, or has resided in the constituency for a total of five (5) years in the last ten (10) years preceding the election he/she seeks to contest. This is the position of the 1992 Constitution which is the fundamental law of Ghana.
The National Communication Officer of the NDC in his response makes the claim that the EC only relied on the 1992 Constitution to make the case that a person need not be a registered voter in the Constituency he/she intends to stand for election. He asserts that the EC should have also relied on the CI 127 and in particular the Nomination Form contained in CI 127 before arriving at the conclusion that a person need not be a registered voter in the same Constituency he/she intends to contest.
To buttress his point, he states that the phrase ‘of the same Constituency’, on the Parliamentary Nomination Form, implies that a candidate for parliamentary election must be a registered voter in the same Constituency he/she intends to contest and that the phrase ‘of the same Constituency’ on the Nomination Form should override the Constitution. This argument is flawed.
For the benefit of the public, the Nomination Form states as follows:
“We the undersigned registered voters in ………………… Constituency do hereby nominate…………. ‘of the same Constituency’ to stand for election as a Member of Parliament, and we hereby certify that to the best of our knowledge he/she is qualified to be elected as such.”
Clearly, as stated above, the Nomination Form only requires those nominating a candidate for a parliamentary election in a Constituency to be registered voters in the same Constituency, and not the candidate who is being nominated to contest. The candidate is only required to hail from or reside in the Constituency to qualify to contest in that Constituency. If one should interpret what is stated on the Parliamentary Nomination Form to imply that the candidate must also be a registered voter in the same Constituency, that would be absurd, unreasonable, illogical, and unconstitutional to borrow some of the words of Sammy Gyamfi.
Was Sammy Gyamfi not aware of this phrase, ‘of the same Constituency’ on the Nomination Form before allowing their candidate for the Kumawu By-Election who is NOT a registered voter in Kumawu to contest for the recent By- Election?
For the information of the general public, the NDC Candidate for the recent By-Election Mr. Kwasi Amankwaa is not a registered voter in the Kumawu Constituency. He is a registered voter in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, yet he contested in the Kumawu By-Election because he hails from there. Why didn’t the NDC raise this issue ahead of the Kumawu Constituency By-Election?
The fact still remains that the allegation by Sammy Gyamfi to the effect that the EC is working with the NPP to sneak an unregistered voter into the Assin North register is FALSE. It is untrue and we call on Sammy Gyamfi to prove this.
Over the years Sammy Gyamfi and his party have put out false claims aimed at maligning the integrity of the EC. This was evident in their petition to the Supreme Court after the 2020 Elections alleging that they had won the Elections. It is well known that they could not provide evidence in Court to support their allegations. This current allegation is no different. It is baseless and unfounded and a figment of the imagination of the National Communication Officer. We call on all well meaning Ghanaians to ignore it.
Ghana’s democracy has come of age and we call on Sammy Gyamfi to exercise maturity, decorum and truth in his discussions on the EC. We urge him to go out and campaign and leave the EC alone.
As a Commission we remain committed to conducting transparent, peaceful and credible elections. We will devote our time to fulfilling our constitutional mandate, having provided the public with the truth on this matter.
The communications officer for the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has stated that he is confident that Gyakye Quayson will emerge victorious at the Assin-North by-election despite Supreme Court’s ruling.
Mr. Quayson’s name was expunged from Parliament as the Member of Parliament for Assin North following a ruling by the Supreme Court in May 2023 because he had dual citizenship.
The Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Quayson was not qualified to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections in the Assin North Constituency at the time he filed his nomination forms on October 9, 2020.
In a statement reacting to the Supreme Court’s full ruling which was released on Monday, Sammy Gyamfi said: “As a discerning and objective Ghanaian, judge for yourself if the Supreme Court’s decision to annul Hon. Quayson’s election is fair or not”.
“In all this, I am glad that the good people of Assin North, in whom sovereignty resides, will have the opportunity to do justice in this matter once and for all, on 27th June 2023. I have no doubt in my mind, having been on the ground and interacted with many of them the past few days, that they will not falter. And that, they will vote for Hon. James GyakyeQuayson. I have no doubt in my mind, that they will vote for justice and genuine development.”
The party maintained that Mr. Quayson’s attempt to renounce his Canadian citizenship was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read below Sammy Gyamfi’s write-up
SAMMY GYAMFI ESQ. WRITES ON THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ON THE ASSIN NORTH MATTER:
Folks, I have just read the 35-page judgment of the Supreme Court on the Assin North matter:
The following preliminary thoughts come to mind readily:
1. Section 20 (d) of the Representation of the People’s Act (PNDC Law 284) provides that a Parliamentary candidate must be qualified at the time of his ELECTION. Strangely, the Supreme Court of Ghana in their judgment says that, qualification must be at the time of NOMINATION (i.e at the time a candidate files or submits his/her nomination form to the EC).
2. The decision of the Supreme Court to annul Hon. Gyakye Quayson’s election is solely based on the fact that, at the time he submitted his nomination form to the EC on 9th October, 2020, he had not received his certificate of renunciation of his Canadian citizenship and that he received same on 26th November, 2020.
3. Even if we are to go by this strange position of the Supreme Court that qualification must be at the time of NOMINATION and not ELECTION, it is important to remind the Supreme Court that in the Nduom case, they held in effect, that the nomination period for an election, must extend beyond the submission of nomination forms and must include the period the EC uses to scrutinize submitted results, within which the EC is supposed to give candidates a hearing and an opportunity to rectify any anomalies on their nomination form. The nomination period therefore terminates after the EC has scrutinized submitted nomination forms, given candidates a hearing and an opportunity to rectify any anomalies on same and has reached a decision on the validity or otherwise of the nomination of the candidate.
3. In the case of the 2020 Assin North election involving Hon. James Gyakye Quayson, he submitted his nomination form to the EC on 9th October, 2020. However, during the scrutiny of his submitted nomination forms by the EC, a petition challenging the validity of his nomination from an NPP group calling themselves “Concerned Citizens of Assin North” was presented to the EC in Accra, whereupon Hon. Quayson was invited by the Director of Elections of the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoo to respond to the issues raised against him on 27th November, 2020. A day before he appeared before the EC at their Headquarters in Accra, that is on 26th November, 2020, Hon. Quayson received his certificate of renunciation of his Canadian citizenship. This is why after investigating the matter, the EC accepted his nomination as valid and cleared him to contest the election on 27th November, 2020 because he had already received his certificate of renunciation a day prior.
4. Note that the election was held on 7th December, 2020. Hon. Quayson applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship in December 2019. But for delays occasioned by COVID-19, he should have gotten his certificate of renunciation not later then June 2020. God being so good, he eventually received his certificate of renunciation on 26th November 2020 as conceded by the Supreme Court. This was 10 clear days before his election. Note that, Section 20(d) of PNDC Law 284 says that qualification must be at the time of ELECTION.
As a discerning and objective Ghanaian, judge for yourself if the Supreme Court’s decision to annul Hon. Quayson’s election is fair or not.
In all this, I am glad that the good people of Assin North in whom sovereignty resides, will have the opportunity to do JUSTICE in this matter once and for all, on 27th June 2023. I have no doubt in my mind, having been on the ground and interacted with many of them the past few days, that they will not falter. And that, they will vote for Hon. James Gyakye Quayson. I have no doubt in my mind, that they will vote for JUSTICE AND GENUINE DEVELOPMENT.
Sammy Gyamfi has urged Ghanaians, especially residents of the Assin North Constituency, to ignore assertions that ousted Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has committed a crime and is likely to be imprisoned.
According to the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is championing this assertion just because it wants to deter people from voting for Gyakye Quayson in the upcoming by-elections.
Speaking in an interview on Cape Cost-based Rich FM over the week ended, Sammy Gyamfi insisted that the former law marker has committed no crime.
“NPP members are saying that once the Supreme Court has ruled against Honourable Quayson, it implies that he would also lose the criminal case.
“This is what should let you know that the NPP is full of liars because they know the truth. I will not say that they (NPP members) are dumb. They know the truth, but they will not say it because they what to deceive the residents of Assin North.
“I’m a lawyer… where is it stated that if the Supreme Court rules on a civil matter against you, then the High Court too will do so? The Supreme Court case was a civil matter; it wasn’t a criminal matter,” he said in Twi.
He went on to cite the example of the case of Alfred Agbesi Woyome, where the Supreme Court ruled against him, but the High Court said he had done nothing wrong.
“Martin Amidu sued Alfred Agbesi Woyome at the Supreme Court, accusing him of unlawfully receiving a GH¢52 million judgment debt. While Woyome was in the Supreme Court, the NDC government at that time also sued him in the High Court.
“The Supreme Court case was a civil matter, and the High Court case was a criminal matter just like the case of Honourable Quayson. Supreme Court ruled that the money given to Woyome was illegal… but the High Court said Woyome was not a criminal,” he said.
Background:
The Electoral Commission of Ghana announced a by-election for the Assin North Constituency, on June 27, 2023, following the declaration of the seat as vacant by the Parliament of Ghana.
Parliament declared the seat vacant after a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court of Ghana ordered the House to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament.
Justice Jones Victor Dotse, Justice Nene Amegatcher, Justice Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, Justice Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Justice Yonny Kulendi and Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu declared that Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election 2020 in the Michael Ankomah Nimfah vrs James Gyakye Quayson case.
However, there is still one case the former MP is in court for.
The State, on February 12, 2022, charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has accused the presidency of misleading Ghanaians with regards to President Akufo-Addo’s home allegedly being affected by unlawful small-scale mining (galamsey).
He claimed that rather than the residence that was demolished by galamsey operations, the president and his office bused journalists to his mother’s home in Kyebi, in the Eastern Region.
“The president doesn’t own just one property in Kyebi. The house he took the journalist to is his mother’s residence at Kyebi Newtown. But apart from that, Akufo-Addo owns a property in between Kyebi Esikam and Adukrom, honourable Ofosu Ampofo’s hometown.
“This property is a security zone, which is fenced. And on that property, which is managed by the said Eric Antwi, a national security operative, he (the president) runs a cattle farm there and has a garden there.
“I’m daring the presidency that if they say that galamsey is not going on any property of the President in Kyebi, let them bus media men to that property and let’s see what will come out,” he said in an interview on TV3 monitored by GhanaWeb, on Saturday.
He further claimed that national security operative have warned to shoot anyone who comes close to the premises.
“We are not children in this country. We know what is happening, we have our ears on the ground. Some of them got wind of the fact that we were intending to come there, and they have been sending threats that if we come there, they will shoot and kill us,” he added.
In a report provided to the president, former environment minister Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng stated that unlawful small-scale mining (galamsey) has devastated areas of the Eastern Region, including the president’s private residence in his village.
According to the report, a local youth organizer for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) had been playing galamsey close to the president’s home till it damaged the home’s landscaping.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng added that he dispatched a team that verified the incident and without telling the President Akufo-Addo went ahead to reclaim the land and vegetate the area.
However, audio-visuals of the said residence show no sign of the said destruction.
The vegetation and structures of the residence appear not to have been tampered with.
Speaking to the media at the residence, the chief of Kyebi, Osabarima Marfo Kwabre, said that the claims made by Prof Frimpong-Boateng are mere fabrications.
He said that the trees and environment of the Akufo-Addo’s house speak for themselves. He, therefore, the former science and technology minister to retract and apologise for the claims he made, asaaseradio.com reports.
“I wonder why people with high positions can bring themselves so low to that extent of telling lies… I don’t see the point because there is a house here with trees in it up to this point, and I’m not sure how we were able to dig the gold, remove the trees, and replace them,
“So, the trees speak for us, and I don’t believe we need to. The trees and the environment speak for themselves,” the chief is quoted to have said.
In response to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s demand that Al Jazeera Media Network retract its recent documentary and demand an apology from it for its involvement in some illegal activities. National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi has dismissed it.
Sammy Gyamfi, tweeted the first page of the two-page letter written on the green sheet used by the Office of the President with a bold red inscription of the words ‘COMIC RELIEF’ slapped across it.
The caption to his tweet read #GoldMafiaGovernment, #GalamseyGovernment.”
In subsequent interviews on local radio stations, he averred that there was no basis for the president to make such a demand of the network. He stressed that the gravity of the matter was in the accusations which the president must truthfully respond to.
About the Gold Mafia film
The serialized documentary titled Gold Mafia had one of the main characters, self-confessed gold smuggler and money launderer, Alistair Mathias, mention President Akufo-Addo as his friend and lawyer at a point.
Alistair had also claimed that he had very close relations with the president, plus other African Heads of State, but this is something the presidency has denied.
In the 25th April letter to the Doha-based channel, penned under the name of the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, the contents of the documentary that mention Akufo-Addo are baseless and defamatory.
“I am instructed by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to demand formally that Al Jazeera Media Network (“Al Jazeera”) retract immediately and apologise for airing an inaccurate and unfair documentary that contained spurious and unsubstantiated allegations against the President and the Government of Ghana.
“The documentary in question made baseless claims that the President acted as lawyer for one Mr. Alistair Mathias and implied that the President personally benefitted unlawfully from an alleged $100m state infrastructure contract purportedly awarded to Mr. Mathias.
“In his letter dated 11th April, 2023, responding to AL Jazeera’s letter of 2nd April, 2023, which was received on 6th April, 2023, containing these vague and defamatory allegations, the Legal Counsel to the President, Mr. Kow Abaka Essuman, acting on the instructions of the President, informed Al Jazeera that the President had not been in private practice since the year 2000 and that the President had no recollection of acting as a lawyer, either personally or through his law firm, Messrs. Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co, for a Mr. Alistair Mathias or his company, Guldrest Resources,” the statement said.
The letter further demanded that Al Jazeera acts within the next seven days after it receives the letter.
“It is impetrative to that you act forthwith on this request within seven days from the date of receipt of this letter.”
The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has described Jubilee House, which is the seat of government in Ghana, a “crime scene.”
According to Gyamfi, the complex has become a place for illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) activities in the country, and that the galamsey report by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is proof of his claim.
“Professor Frimpong-Boateng is not an ordinary person talking but this was the man who was in charge of the fight and he has not just written a report and kept under his bed but submitted it to the presidency and indicated that he is ready to substantiate those allegations. “In fact, in some of the instances, he has even given us evidences including videos, pictures and messages and so we must get to the bottom of these issues. “Then he talks about the former NPP MP for Manso Nkwanta who under the guise of community mining also acquired a lot of concessions. So you see, the Jubilee House today is a crime scene,” he stated on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
He criticized President Akufo-Addo for not taking any action on the report submitted by Professor Frimpong-Boateng, who was in charge of the fight against galamsey in the first term of Akufo-Addo’s government.
Gyamfi emphasized that Frimpong-Boateng is a reputable individual and had submitted evidence to substantiate his allegations against some appointees in the Jubilee House.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng, who was the former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, accused some individuals in government of frustrating his efforts to fight illegal mining activities when he was a minister.
He submitted a document that contained the names of people he claimed were interfering with the committee’s work. In the document, he mentioned that party officials had engaged in illegal mining activities and that there were appointees in the Jubilee House supporting the menace.
Some individuals mentioned in the report, including President Akufo-Addo’s cousin Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, have denied the allegations. Otchere-Darko explained that he only called Frimpong-Boateng to seek information on his client, a company that had permits to mine in the country.
He added that the Minister deliberately twisted his mediation to cause public disaffection for him.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, held a press conference on recent disclosures about illegal mining, smuggled gold as well money laundering in the country.
During the address, National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, on behalf of the party registered his dissapointment over the claims in the documentary.
He, thus, called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor, as well as Parliament to launch investigations into the matter.
Below is the full text:
THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AND PARLIAMENT MUST PROBE FRIMPONG BOATENG’S “GALAMSEY” REPORT AND ALLEGATIONS OF MONEY LAUNDERING INVOLVING PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO IN THE LATEST “GOLD MAFIA” UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION BY AL JAZEERA.
AL JAZEERA’S GOLD MAFIA INVESTIGATION
Good morning to you, our media partners here present, in the sixteen regions of Ghana and across the world.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sighted an undercover investigative work that was recently broadcast by international news network, Al Jazeera. The said documentary forms part of a four-part investigation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit), which uncovered an international Gold Smuggling mafia and Money Laundering racket operating in various parts of Africa.
Friends from the media, of particular concern to us and indeed, the people of Ghana, is the reference to a relationship between the deadly racket and the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other high-ranking officials of the ruling NPP government.
In the One-hour, thirteen-minute video documentary, one Alistair Mathias who has gained notoriety for designing money laundering schemes for corrupt African Leaders, could be seen boasting about his close relationship with President Akufo-Addo and other high-profile African leaders.
In the particular portion of this new investigative documentary that has got many tongues wagging, the said Alistair Mathias who is described as a Canadian citizen and a financial architect operating a gold smuggling syndicate in Ghana called Guldrest, confided in Al Jazeera undercover reporters who posed as Chinese Businessmen, about his constant dealings with President Akufo-Addo.
Some of the underhand dealings this shady character revealed include how the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government for instance can award his company, Mathias Holdings an inflated contract worth $100 million, which he in turn subcontracts to another company for a value of about $80 million, thereby making a staggering profit of $20 million on the contract.
Friends from the media, the mastermind of these crimes further revealed how the padded amount on such deals is then shared among the parties – corrupt officials in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government on the one hand, and Mathias Holdings on the other hand.
Under this criminal scheme, Mathias further undertakes to bank the share of his corrupt collaborators in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government in offshore accounts until such a time that the money is needed by them.
This is how grand corruption is created by elements in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, who inflate contracts and then deposit the stolen funds in the form of “commissions” with this devious individual whose operations span across other African countries. And by the way, commissions in this gold smuggling, money laundering and illicit business context simply means bribes.
As if the above dealings were not scandalous enough, we further gleaned from the documentary how supply and procurement contracts are awarded to this knavish partner of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Presidency, who constantly returns kickbacks from these inflated contracts through their elaborate corrupt network at the expense of value for money and the good people of Ghana.
Ladies and gentlemen, the nefarious Alistair Mathias further confessed to how he manages to smuggle one ton of gold with a face value of $40 million from Ghana, every month, with the active collusion of high-ups in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government and in collaboration with one Kamlesh Pattni, an Indian man domiciled in Kenya, who is described as the grandmaster of the Gold Mafia.
This development, my fellow countrymen and women, adds to a litany of similar acts of grand corruption and collusion involving President Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and other high-ranking NPP government officials.
Ghanaians have not forgotten about the Number #12 documentary by ace Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in which former President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi was nabbed in similar fashion negotiating kickbacks from supposed investors for President Akufo-Addo and other government officials.
Again, and of very recent memory is the “Galamsey Economy” undercover investigation by the same Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in which a serving Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen was captured on video negotiating bribes and “Appearance Fees” to the tune of $250,000 from supposed investors for and on behalf of the Vice President, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia.
The question every objective Ghanaian should be asking, is how come the names of the President and his Vice, keep popping up in such shady deals and corruption scandals? Why always them? It could neither be mere speculation nor influence peddling any longer. This trend that has now received such unenviable global publicity, must worry every well-meaning Ghanaian.
We in the National Democratic Congress are deeply concerned about the damning revelations about our President in this latest documentary by Al Jazeera. The continuous naming of the President and his Vice in all manner of bribe-taking syndicates, must be a cause for concern for every patriotic Ghanaian who cares about the image of the Presidency.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, Al Jazeera’s earth-shaking findings also give currency to the justifiable concerns raised about government’s opaque Gold-for-Oil deal which many experts, civil society organizations and the NDC have had legitimate grounds to criticize and demand transparency and accountability.
Never in the history of our country has the Presidency been reduced to a criminal Mafia as we are witnessing today.
As has become standard practice under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, the Presidency has kept a deafening silence on this matter in the wake of the damning revelations contained in the Al Jazeera documentary. Given the record and penchant of this government to coverup graft, Ghanaians cannot and must not accept silence or the usual flippant denials emanating from the Presidency or government corridors on this matter.
It is against this backdrop that the NDC hereby calls on the Special Prosecutor to take keen interest in this matter and launch a full-scale investigation into this matter with the aim of prosecuting anyone found culpable.
Given the considerable public interest in this matter and what it portends for Ghana’s image among the global comity of nations, we wish to call on Parliament to set up a publicly-televised and bi-partisan probe into this matter in order to ascertain the truth.
We hold the view that a Parliamentary probe is imperative to establish:
1. The number of companies owned by Alistair Mathias in Ghana.
2. Which government contracts have been awarded to companies owned by Alistair Mathias since their inception in the country?
3. The propriety or otherwise of the activities of companies owned by Alistair Mathias, among others.
We invite President Akufo-Addo, his handlers and the people at the corridors of power to whole-heartedly embrace our call for a bi-partisan probe into this serious matter, if indeed they so believe nothing untoward has been occasioned the State and that, they have nothing to hide.
FRIMPONG BOATENG’S GALAMSEY REPORT
Ladies and gentlemen, it is our well-considered view that the explosive revelations contained in Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigative piece explain why the President’s supposed fight against galamsey has been a spectacular failure. It explains why Ghana has become the epicenter of gold smuggling in Africa.
Galamsey was obviously bound to flourish under the corrupt Akufo-Addo/Bawumia regime because it was a central source of the illegal gold purchases used in this complex money laundering scheme orchestrated by powerful political dark forces in high places.
As we in the NDC have always maintained, President Akufo-Addo’s proclaimed fight against galamsey was the biggest scam ever to be perpetrated on Ghanaians. Today, the NDC stands vindicated as a report authored and presented by the former Minister of Environment and Science and former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining, Prof. Frimpong Boateng has all but confirmed our long-held position that there has never been any genuine commitment or any attempt to fight galamsey by this government.
The said report by the German-trained Cardiothoracic Surgeon shows clearly that the so-called fight against galamsey was a charade calculated to enable top government and NPP functionaries to appropriate and take over the illicit galamsey trade.
Ladies and gentlemen, for the sake of brevity, we shall only highlight eight (8) of the several damning revelations contained in the Frimpong Boateng report today and deal with the rest in subsequent media engagements:
1. Friends from the media, you would recall that President Akufo-Addo placed a moratorium on April 1, 2017, suspending artisanal and small-scale mining in the country for a combined period of one year, three months. Strangely however, Frimpong Boateng’s galamsey report tells us that in 2018, this same Akufo-Addo government acting through the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, somehow contrived to give out all forest reserves in Ghana for mining activities.
During the period that the ban on small-scale mining was in force, more illegal miners, including Chinese gangs invaded our forest reserves with the help of government officials and caused unprecedented destruction to our forests, water bodies and environment.
As the former Environment Minister puts it in his report, never in the history of Ghana have the nation’s forest reserves been subjected to such obscene rape and wanton destruction in the name of Galamsey as we have witnessed under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
2. Fellow countrymen and women, the former Environment Minister and Chairman of the defunct IMCIM, has provided further and better particulars of persons, both high and low, who are neck-deep in this nation-wrecking business of ‘galamsey’.
The report specifically names appointees at the Jubilee House, such as Laud Commey, Director of Operations at the Presidency, a Presidential Staffer, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe and Frank Asiedu Bekoe aka “Protozoa”, Special Aide to the Chief of Staff who have been actively supporting and promoting illegal mining.
We in the NDC have always known, that the political economy of galamsey in this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, is made up of the high and mighty in places of power and influence, who will stop at nothing to sabotage any effort at fighting the canker, because of what they benefit from it.
Time without number, Anas Aremeyaw has exposed this cabal, you in the media have done the same. Civil society and the political divide have all provided one form of evidence or the other, but President Akufo-Addo has simply refused to act. You know why? The President has refused to act because he is the chief mastermind and ultimate beneficiary of the nefarious galamsey activities of his government and party functionaries.
3. Ladies and gentlemen, the Prof. Frimpong Boateng report is also categorical about the very well-known illegal mining activities of former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John and his erstwhile Aide, Charles Owusu who doubled as Director of Operations at the Forestry Commission.
The report avers that, these two men while at the helm of affairs at the Forestry Commission, did everything to sabotage the fight against illegal mining, and instead granted forest entry permits to small and large-scale mining companies, including Chinese gangs who were brought in to mine on their behalf, at a time there was an active ban on such activities.
4. Ladies and gentlemen, the report further cites the “unwholesome behaviour” of some Members of Parliament and Government Appointees, who are all neck-deep in promoting the galamsey menace for selfish gain.
Of specific mention was the activities of Former Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta, Hon. Joseph Albert Quarm, who is reported to have used his position as then member of the Minerals Commission Board to acquire several dozens of large-scale mining concessions in his district under the guise of community mining. He is reported to have sold these concessions to private individuals, including his party members for about Two Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis per concession (GHS200,000).
5. Perhaps the biggest obstructionist to the fight against illegal mining cited by the report is nephew of President Akufo-Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko.
The report recounts how Mr. Otchere Darko placed a call to the then Minister and Chairman of the IMCIM to intervene on behalf of a company known as Heritage Imperial Limited, which was destroying the environment and causing havoc to the River Offin in the Kobro and Apaprama forest reserve in the Amansie area of the Ashanti Region.
The owner of the company in question, one Donald Entsuah, was co-owner of another company by name C&J Aleska, which had previously caused extensive damage to the Diaso forest reserve in the Central Region, under protection from men of the Ghana Armed forces.
The report reveals how the late Major Maxwell Mahama lost his life while offering protection to mining concessions owned by this C&J Aleska company in the Denkyiraboase area in 2017. Our sympathies go to the late Major Mahama’s widow, children and family.
Having been successfully dislodged from the Diaso forest reserve by the task force of the IMCIM, the Frimpong Boateng report notes that this same Donald Entsuah quickly formed his latest company, Heritage Imperial Limited, which has equally been at the heart of extensive destruction of the Kobro and Apaprama forest reserve in the Amansie area, operating with a prospecting license and under heavy military protection.
We are talking here about a company and its owner with a history of engaging in illegal mining under the pretext of prospecting. On 29th November 2016, Mr. Toni Aubyn, then Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission during the NDC administration, wrote to C&J Aleska that the Company was “seriously engaged in illegal mining on its prospecting licence”. On 30th January 2017, Mr. Aubyn wrote again to C&G Aleska for “undertaking mining activities illegally without obtaining all the requisite permits and approvals”.
Again, on 2nd October 2017, Hon. John Peter Amewu, the first NPP Minister for Lands and Natural Resources wrote to G&G Aleska regarding the Dwuabo concession and directed that “in view of the fact that C&G Aleska does not have a valid Mining Operating Permit, and that the Ministry has not yet ratified your mining lease, you are directed NOT TO CARRY OUT ANY MINING OPERATIONS in the concession until your mining lease has been ratified.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the mining activities of this company have resulted in the destruction of these two forest reserves, and the diversion of the course of the Offin River. Yet, this is the company the President’s nephew, Gabby Otchere Darko sought to shield and defend.
What Gabby Otchere Darko sought to do was to essentially use his influence in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, to defend a company which has been responsible for the destruction of the Diaso, Kobro and Apaprama forest reserves.
Mr. Otchere Darko’s impunity must be called out and condemned by every well-meaning Ghanaian. Here is a company destroying our environment, yet enjoys protection from the military and no less a person than President Akufo-Addo’s nephew.
What is even more condemnable but unsurprising, is the fact that Otchere Darko’s behaviour was said to have been reported to President Akufo-Addo, yet he failed to rein in his errant and obstructionist nephew. How could the President have reined Gabby in, when his actions and inactions clearly show that he is himself an enabler, promoter and beneficiary of galamsey?
6. Ladies and gentlemen, the Frimpong Boateng report also fingered very senior and leading figures within the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, for allegedly acting in ways that essentially compromised the fight and rather promoted the activities of people who were engaged in illegal mining.
Former Senior Minister and now Presidential Advisor, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, for instance is cited by the report to have allegedly used his influence to rather defend and whitewash an alleged money laundering activity by one Seth Mantey, a journalist who was arrested for laundering money from the sale of seized excavators. This he did on behalf of one John Ofori-Atta, then Regional Security Coordinator for the Central Region and Horace Ekow Ewusi, former Vice Chairman of the NPP in the Central Region, who was indicted by Frimpong Boateng for the 500 missing excavators.
In similar vein, Mr. S.K Boafo, a leading member of the New Patriotic and then Board Chairman of the Minerals Commission, was also cited for allegedly sabotaging the work of the IMCIM relative to the implementation of a successful community mining programme.
7. Friends from the media, it is sad to note that the Frimpong Boateng galamsey report identifies the Eastern Region, President Akufo-Addo’s own backyard, as the headquarters of almost intractable and uncontrollable illegal mining activities. At the center of these activities are several New Patriotic Party bigwigs and government functionaries, notable among whom is alleged to be Capt. Kodah of the Presidential Security detail. He is reported to have demanded the release of excavators being used by illegal miners at Anyinam, who discharged mining residue directly into the Birim River. The said illegal mining site allegedly belonged to the MP for Asene Akroso Manso, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye, according to the report.
8. Perhaps, the height of impunity was when an NPP Youth Organizer for Kyebi was said to have been excavating for gold in the backyard garden of President Akufo-Addo’s house in Kyebi. Yet, President Akufo-Addo got no wind of this from National Security or his elaborate security detail. As I have already indicated, the only thing that can explain this scandalous revelation is that, President Akufo-Addo is himself complicit in the illegal mining menace.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, if there was any doubt that the so-called fight against illegal mining by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government has been a sham, then this is the clearest evidence, yet again.
The report confirms one truth – that illegal mining activities have been a free-for-all enterprise for many in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP administration. From Ministers, Presidential Staffers and other associates in government, to National, Regional, Constituency and even Unit Committee Executives of the New Patriotic Party, their agents, Personal Assistants, relatives and financiers, many have been cited to have either engaged in or promoted illegal mining with reckless abandon.
The details of this report are simply scandalous, scary, sordid, pervasive and rotten to the core. We now know how the 500 seized excavators were sold by people entrusted to take care of those seized equipment.
There is now ample evidence about how military and police officers and other men in uniform who were funded by the state and tasked to help fight galamsey, were rather used to protect illegal mining sites belonging to government and NPP officials and their foreign collaborators. It is sad to note that, Ghana today has a Commander-in-chief who sends soldiers into harm’s way for parochial gain. Major Mahama’s death and misuse of Ghanaian soldiers by this “Galamsey” Government is another reason for the public enquiry.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Frimpong Boateng galamsey report has indeed shocked the conscience of the nation, and no amount of half-witted and half-hearted explanations from the Presidency or government can whitewash this great infamy.
President Akufo-Addo’s complicity in this whole scandal is further magnified by the fact that this stinking report has been on his desk since 2021, yet he has woefully failed to act on same.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are of the view, that the only way to establish the truth and get to the bottom of the issues contained in the Frimpong Boateng report, is for Parliament to institute a publicly-televised and bi-partisan enquiry into this report, which essentially is an obituary of President Akufo-Addo’s monumentally failed fight against illegal mining.
The Special Prosecutor on his part, must act with alacrity by probing the Frimpong Boateng Galamsey report and prosecute all government officials, NPP functionaries and persons who have perpetrated serious crimes against the State as contained in the report.
The Ghanaian people deserve this probe, because millions of tax payers’ money has gone down the drain in the name of fighting illegal mining. Now that it has been confirmed that all the so-called fight was a charade, our nation stands united in crying for justice. Anything short of a bi-partisan enquiry into this matter, will be fiercely resisted.
Any country that has no firm grip over the protection of its forests, nature reserves, wet lands and biodiversity, is one that is doomed to extinction. It is sad to say, that Ghana is fast approaching this scary reality under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP administration, who are busy destroying all our vegetative buffers to satisfy their greed and selfishness.
As a further step to back our demands, the NDC shall formally submit a request to both the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana and the office of the Special Prosecutor to initiate the necessary investigations into the Gold Mafia documentary as it relates to Ghana and the Galamsey report of Prof. Frimpong Boateng.
It is our fervent hope and firm belief that, these very serious issues will not be swept under the carpet, and that the Special Prosecutor and Parliament will rise to the occasion in order to stop the continuous desecration of our Presidency and environment by President Akufo-Addo, his Vice, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and the ruling New Patriotic Party.
Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s communications director, claims that no one in the NPP, which is currently in power, has the power to thwart the will of the Ghanaian people in the general elections of 2024.
Mr. Gyamfi was reacting to Bryan Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, who said that the NPP would use all available methods to win re-election in 2024.
On Saturday morning (April 8), after taking part in a health walk as part of celebrations for this year’s Kwahu Easter, Mr. Acheampong, the NPP’s member of parliament for Abetifi, addressed NPP supporters in the area and declared that the NPP will never cede power to the NDC.
He said the NPP will do what it takes to retain power and that “we have the men”.
He said the NPP has what it takes to quell any form of ill conduct that the NDC may be planning to use to win the 2024 elections.
However, responding to Mr Acheampong’s comment, the NDC Communications Officer said “Sovereignty resides in the people and not in a man who only served as a mere Airman Basic (the lowest enlisted rank in the United States Air Force immediately below airman) for about 2 years.”
For him, the former Deputy National Security Minister has no locus to threaten any NDC member and that the NDC will go into the 2024 elections well prepared.
He expressed the hope that “majority of the Ghanaian electorate will surely vote for change come 2024 and nobody can subvert their will.”
Mr Gyamfi said “If Bryan and his ilk are motivated by getting away with the evil they perpetrated during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election and the 2020 elections, then they are sorely mistaken, for it will not be business as usual. Notice is hereby served.”
He has, therefore, asked the supporters of the NDC to “ignore the ludicrous tantrums of Bryan Acheampong.”
Irene Amankwaa Karikari, wife of young politician, Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress, has received a passionate message from her husband on the occasion of her birthday.
Sammy Gyamfi on the morning of Friday, March 24, 2023, took to his Instagram page to mark Irene’s first birthday as his wife with a gorgeous photo.
“Wishing my better half @i_ren.e a happy and blissful birthday. May the Lord increase his blessings upon your life gorgeous one,” read the caption of the photo which has received tons of compliments directed at Mrs Gyamfi.
The two were engaged in a public display of affection with the wife of the politician showering him with accolades.
“My Husband, the only Honourable I know, Thank you SG #toinfinityandbeyond,” the celebrant wrote.
The couple tied the knot back in December 2022 in a star-dubbed ceremony that was graced by former president, John Dramani Mahama and top executives of the NDC, the leading opposition political party of Ghana.
Akwaboah and King Promise were among the musicians who performed at the extravagant wedding ceremony.
National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC),Sammy Gyamfi, maintains that Ghana’s economy was in ruins long before COVID-19 appeared.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Russia and Ukraine are to blame for Ghana’s economic crisis, according to the Akufo-Addo administration.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva earlier confirmed that COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war had a negative impact on the nation’s economy.
Sammy Gyamfi, however, claimed that the IMF chief was being diplomatic with the truth about the true state of the Ghanaian economy when he appeared on Citi TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu.
He claimed that the IMF managing director massaged the numbers because he didn’t want to endanger the government’s efforts to restructure its debt as part of the bailout, hence the massaged facts regarding the economic crisis.
The NDC’s National Communications Officer reiterated that the economy was broken before the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The economy was worse before COVID-19 came in, even before COVID-19 our economy was broken. It’s not what the IMF or World Bank says, it’s about what the facts say. The IMF is like a doctor, doctors have a certain duty of care to their clients. They will tell you reasons for your sickness but in a diplomatic way and well-dressed manner”.
He maintained, “right now that we have gone to IMF for a bailout, they are our doctor, and we are the patient. They will definitely not say something that actually reflects the reality, knowing that it can hamper the bailout and economic recovery programme we are seeking from them. They were being diplomatic. In diplomatic settings, it’s very normal. If you listen to what these external players are saying, you will be deceived. You need to examine things for yourself, before COVID-19 what was the state of the economy?”.
Mr. Gyamfi asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be used as a justification by the government for the woes of the country slamming the government for spending money on wasteful ventures.
“They [NPP government] had more resources to transform this country than any government sinceDr. Kwame Nkrumah’s tenure. Yet have wasted these funds on needless and useless ventures such that today they have very little to show for the unprecedented resources they had. These and many falsehoods were presented by President Akufo-Addo in his state of the nation address,” the National Communications Officer of NDC pointed out.
According to him, the local currency had depreciated by close to 13% against the dollar before COVID-19 describing as false claims that the economy was on a good trajectory before the pandemic.
“Before COVID-19, our cedi had depreciated against the dollar by close to 13%. That claim that we were on a good trajectory before COVID-19 is false,” he stated.
National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) national communications officer, Sammy Gyamfi, said it is a false claim that Ghana’s economy was thriving prior to theCovid-19 pandemic.
He indicated that the economy was beginning to show signs of weakness before the pandemic.
His remarks follow those of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who noted in his state of the nation address (SONA) on March 8 that Ghana’s economy was doing well before the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the president, even acknowledged that Ghana’s economy was doing well before the pandemic.
He said, “I have said, and the Managing Director of the IMF has also said, our economy was doing well until covid 19, and Russia Ukraine war.”
But speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Wednesday, March 22, Sammy Gyamfi said “These are people who are allergic to the truth. Before Covid, the government was already spending recklessly.
“Before Covid what did the government have to show for the borrowing? Before covid, the economy was nothing to wrote home about.”
He further attributed Ghana’s problems to wastage and corruption by the government.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) national communications officer, Sammy Gyamfi, claims thatCOVID-19 is not the cause for Ghana’s economy woes.
The Akufo-Addo administration has attributed Ghana’s economic crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Russia and Ukraine.
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva had earlier agreed that COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war negatively affected the country’s economy.
But speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Sammy Gyamfi, said the IMF Chief was being diplomatic with the truth on the true state of the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, the MD of IMF didn’t want to jeopardise the progress of the bailout the government is seeking to restructure its debt, hence the massaged facts regarding the economic crisis.
The NDC’s National Communications Officer reiterated that the economy was broken before the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The economy was worse before COVID-19 came in, even before COVID-19 our economy was broken. It’s not what the IMF or World Bank says, it’s about what the facts say. The IMF is like a doctor, doctors have a certain duty of care to their clients. They will tell you reasons for your sickness but in a diplomatic way and well-dressed manner”.
He maintained, “right now that we have gone to IMF for a bailout, they are our doctor, and we are the patient. They will definitely not say something that actually reflects the reality, knowing that it can hamper the bailout and economic recovery programme we are seeking from them. They were being diplomatic. In diplomatic settings, it’s very normal. If you listen to what these external players are saying, you will be deceived. You need to examine things for yourself, before COVID-19 what was the state of the economy?”.
Mr. Gyamfi asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be used as a justification by the government for the woes of the country slamming the government for spending money on wasteful ventures.
“They [NPP government] had more resources to transform this country than any government since Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s tenure. Yet have wasted these funds on needless and useless ventures such that today they have very little to show for the unprecedented resources they had. These and many falsehoods were presented by President Akufo-Addo in his state of the nation address,” the National Communications Officer of NDC pointed out.
According to him, the local currency had depreciated by close to 13% against the dollar before COVID-19 describing as false claims that the economy was on a good trajectory before the pandemic.
“Before COVID-19, our cedi had depreciated against the dollar by close to 13%. That claim that we were on a good trajectory before COVID-19 is false,” he stated.
National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has reiterated calls on the government to cut down on its expenditure in the wake of the current economic crisis.
“Mr. President cut down on the waste, the waste in your government is too much. They told us two years ago that they were going to cut expenditures yet we see an increase in waste” he said.
Speaking to TV3 on Wednesday morning (March 22, 2023), Mr. Gyamfi cited the National Cathedral project as one of the “wasteful expenditures” of the government that needs to stop.
“The government is wasting the public purse on a needless National Cathedral. Do we need a national cathedral in the midst of this economic crisis?”
“Cut down on the bloated size of the government and we can make huge savings,” he added.
He also called on government to eschew corruption and punish persons involved in corrupt practices.
Rumors that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership is attempting to have Muntaka Mubarak removed as the party’s representative in Asawase have been refuted by Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s national communications officer.
Rumours of Muntaka’s removal have been rife in recent times after some party supporters and branch executives in the Asawase constituency organized a press conference to question the competence of their parliamentary representative with some demanding for him to be replaced going into the 2024 general elections.
Muntaka’s woes began after the leadership of the NDC replaced him with Kwame Agbodza as the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament on January 24.
But speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV, Mr. Gyamfi said it is ridiculous the rumour had gained traction because the party doesn’t have the power to remove legislators.
“It is ridiculous because the party cannot remove any Member of Parliament. MPs are elected by their constituents, so the party has no power to remove a Member of Parliament. The fate of all aspirants or candidates will be determined by the delegates in the 275 constituencies and so the party will not protect any individual, but the party is protecting all the 275 seats but also where for good reason, the party has to engage various stakeholders on specific issues to build consensus, the party will do so.”
The announcement of Muntaka’s removal as theMinority Chief Whip birthed a series of agitations in Asawase where the MP has recently sued 11 branch executives for defamation and is demanding GH¢10 million in damages.
The National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has alleged that President Akufo-Addo is responsible for corruption in the country.
He again accused President Akufo-Addo of promoting corruption to the extent of going ahead with investigations to exonerate his appointees accused of engaging in corruption-related cases.
Sammy Gyamfi further slammed government officials for engaging in corruption which he said has taken a toll on the economy.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu, on Face to Face on Citi TV, Sammy Gyamfi claimed, “they have come to promote corruption.President Akufo-Addocame to enable corruption, if corruption was a human being, its name would have been President Akufo-Addo. If you wanted to see corruption, and you saw President Akufo-Addo you would have found your answers”.
He stressed, “no President in the history of this country has promoted corruption than President Akufo-Addo. This President engages in corruption, his Vice President engages in corruption, and their officials engage in corruption. When they are caught by state agencies, they either fight them or even before investigations are done, the President comes out to whitewash himself and sometimes his corrupt officials”.
He wondered why the President conferred a national award on the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, who has been indicted by the Auditor General for misusing COVID-19 funds.
“As I speak with you, the Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang -Manu has been indicted by the Auditor General for paying $81 million for vaccines not supplied. Instead of sacking this man, President Akufo-Addo conferred a national award [Order of the Volta-Companion] on him. He also engaged in procurement breaches of Sputnik V vaccines,” he said.
The proposed Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana for the 2024 elections, is merely intended to rig the polls, according to the National Communication Officer of the running National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Speaking in an interview on Good Morning Ghana, on Thursday, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Sammy Gyamfi said that the new C.I. seeks to frustrate the process of the registration of new voters so that not all eligible voters will be captured.
“I have taken the time to go through the new C.I. which the EC is seeking to lay before Parliament in very, very good details and when I was done it was very clear to me that the real intention behind this new C.I. is to rig the 2024 elections.
“This new C.I. is the 1st step in the plot by the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission to rig the 2024 elections. It is as simple as that. The issues are not complex to understand at all and any objective well-meaning Ghanaian who studies this new C.I. will come to this inevitable conclusion.
“The newly proposed C.I. seeks to achieve two things, Number one is to suppress and disenfranchise many eligible voters and number two is the newly proposed C.I. seeks to enable the rigging of the election through fraudulent registrations that political parties cannot check,” he said.
Sammy Gyamfi shreds newly proposed C.I on Voters’ registration and exposes Jean Mensah plot or rig the 2024 elections. pic.twitter.com/IlOT0uStrE
Sammy Gyamfi explained that C.I. will “suppress and disenfranchise” eligible voters by the move to make the Ghana Card the only document acceptable for the registration of new voters.
He said that the proposal to use only regional and district offices of the EC for voter registration is an attempt to make the process less transparent which gives the EC the leeway to manipulate the data as it pleases.
He added that after the registration EC will choose the registration centres for voters which will be an illegality and will allow it to influence the elections.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Jean Mensa, has called on Members of Parliament to support the new CI, which seeks to make the Ghana Card the main source of identification for registering new voters.
She says this is very important due to the evolving electoral process.
“Honourable members, it is in this vein that we urge you to support the decision of the EC to rely on the Ghana card as the main source of identification for those who wish to register as voters. Our country has evolved; it is important that our electoral process evolve to meet the exigencies of time,” she said.
Jean Mensa was speaking during her appearance in Parliament to brief the committee of the whole on the controversial proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) seeking to make the Ghana Card the only identification document to be used to guarantee citizenship if passed.
Avance Media, a leading African media and PR company, has announced its annual list of 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians for 2022. The list recognizes young people under the age of 40 who are making a significant impact in their respective industries and communities.
This year’s list features young people from various fields, including media, business, leadership, governance, and entertainment. Among the honorees are media personalities like Serwaa Amihere, Lexis Bill & Doreen Avio, business leaders like Abdul Karim Abdullah & Kennedy Agyapong Jnr, political figures like Hon, Samuel George & Sammy Gyamfi and entertainment icons like Stonebwoy, Camidoh, Kidi, Sarkodie & Wendy Shay.
The selection process was rigorous, and the honorees were chosen based on their achievements, impact, and contribution to society. Avance Media’s goal in publishing the list is to recognise the work of young Ghanaians who are making a difference and inspiring others to do the same.
In a statement, Prince Akpah, the Founder and Managing Director of Avance Media expressed his excitement about this year’s list, saying, “We are thrilled to announce the 2022 edition of the 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians. It is inspiring to see so many young people making a significant impact in their communities and industries. We hope their stories will motivate others to pursue their dreams and make a difference.”
The list has become a prestigious accolade in Ghana, with previous honorees going on to achieve greater success in their respective fields. Avance Media’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of young Ghanaians is a testament to their belief in the power of youth and their potential to drive positive change in the country.
Below is the full list of Avance Media’s 2022 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians arranged in alphabetical order.
The National Communication Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has demanded that Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, be charged with fraudulently printing more than GH45 billion for the government.
In a tweet shared on February 9, 2023, Sammy Gyamfi said that the Bank of Ghana has violated the Bank of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 918) by printing money above the allowed threshold without the approval of parliament.
He added that, that action by the central bank is criminal, as such, Dr. Ernest Addison and another individual who is involved in the illegality should be dealt with by the law.
“This statement from the BoG is an admission of criminality and can suffice as a confession statement. The governor of the BoG and all those culpable are candidates for criminal prosecution under section 67 of the ACT 612 for violating section 30 of ACT 612 as amended by ACT 918,” parts of the tweet read.
The NDC national communications officer was reacting to a justification by the central bank on its decision to print over GH¢40 billion for the government to finance the 2022 budget which is above the required threshold and needs the approval of parliament.
According to the BoG, it was left with no option but to support the government because it’s (the government’s) access to International Capital Marketwas closed and the domestic market was also struggling.
In a statement issued on Thursday, February 9, 2023, the central bank posited that its action was not wrong since the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 which was suspended by the Parliament of Ghana, had not been reinstated.
The statement by the BoG comes after it was heavily criticized by some Ghanaians after a Bloomberg report indicated that it printed GH¢41.9 billion for the government in 2022.
Broadcaster, Dr. Randy Abbey, who was reacting to the Bloomberg report, said that the BoG, which is supposed to be regulating the country’s financial sector, appears to be breaking all the rules in the sector.
“The level of seeming recklessness and lawlessness, and irresponsibility when it comes to the operation of the central bank and the lack of transparency is getting worrying,” he said.
The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has accused the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, of printing over GH¢45 billion illegally for the government.
he thus has called for the prosecution of Mr Addison.
In a tweet shared on February 9, 2023, Sammy Gyamfi said that the Bank of Ghana has violated the Bank of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 918) by printing money above the allowed threshold without the approval of parliament.
He added that, that action by the central bank is criminal, as such, Dr. Ernest Addison and another individual who is involved in the illegality should be dealt with by the law.
“This statement from the BoG is an admission of criminality and can suffice as a confession statement. The governor of the BoG and all those culpable are candidates for criminal prosecution under section 67 of the ACT 612 for violating section 30 of ACT 612 as amended by ACT 918,” parts of the tweet read.
The NDC national communications officer was reacting to a justification by the central bank on its decision to print over GH¢40 billion for the government to finance the 2022 budget which is above the required threshold and needs the approval of parliament.
According to the BoG, it was left with no option but to support the government because it’s (the government’s) access to International Capital Market was closed and the domestic market was also struggling.
In a statement issued on Thursday, February 9, 2023, the central bank posited that its action was not wrong since the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 which was suspended by the Parliament of Ghana, had not been reinstated.
The statement by the BoG comes after it was heavily criticized by some Ghanaians after a Bloomberg report indicated that it printed GH¢41.9 billion for the government in 2022.
Broadcaster, Dr. Randy Abbey, who was reacting to the Bloomberg report, said that the BoG, which is supposed to be regulating the country’s financial sector, appears to be breaking all the rules in the sector.
“The level of seeming recklessness and lawlessness, and irresponsibility when it comes to the operation of the central bank and the lack of transparency is getting worrying,” he said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to reshuffle and reduce the size of his government shows how insensitive he is to the plight of Ghanaians.
The party says the President does not appreciate the extent of the economic crisis the country is facing by keeping a large size of government.
The National Communications Officer of the party, Mr Sammy Gyamfi said the actions of President Akufo-Addo mean he does not respect the suffering of Ghanaians.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, the outspoken politician said any responsible leader would have downsized government considering the hardship the country is facing.
“This so-called reshuffle has once again highlighted the insensitivity and the intransigence of the Akufo-Addo Bawumia because we all know the times we are living in. This country is in crisis.
“Our economy has been so mismanaged that today it is in bankruptcy such that we cannot even service our debt such that we are compelling our creditors to accept crude haircuts on coupon rates they are entitled.
“That is how serious the crisis we have plunged and what any responsible government should be doing is to show prudence and frugality in its expenditure.
“Where we make it imperative for any responsible leader to downsize and to reduce drastically the government and its expenditure and not this insults to Ghanaians,” he said.
A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has described President Akufo-Addo’s recent appointments as no ministerial reshuffle at all.
According to him, the exercise mainly filled vacancies in government where there have been resignations, complemented with token movements that really do not carry any weight.
In effect, the exercise fell far short of the expectations of members of the public who have been clamouring for a real reshuffle.
Since Ghana’s economy started showing signs of instability, a section of Ghanaians called for a ministerial reshuffle and a downsized government, he said.
This call initially was met with indifference.
However, when it became incessant the President finally replied saying, “The calls come for all kinds of reasons; NDC wanting to destabilise the government is one. There are people who are also looking for jobs.”
Six months later, President Akufo-Addo reshuffled some ministers in his government.
But this has not met the expectations of many Ghanaians.
The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that the ongoing Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) is not the solution to Ghana’s economic woes.
Sammy Gyamfi said the fundamental issue underlying the crisis of the economy stems from mismanagement by the Akufo-Addo government.
He believes that the success of the Programme would be short-lived.
“People think that this so-called debt exchange programme is the panacea to our economic woes. I disagree. It is not the panacea to our economic woes.
“If we do not address the issue that has brought the country to its knees, it doesn’t matter how many times we do debt exchange, we will return to this same ditch,” he said.
According to him, the current administration is the “luckiest government in the history of the country in that it has unprecedented oil revenue, huge tax revenue and unprecedented borrowed funds.”
However, Mr Gyamfi is saddened that government has failed to deliver in spite of the availability of such revenues.
Speaking about the Programme, the private legal practitioner said that DDEP seeks to rather “expropriate” the investments of individuals.
He lamented that government’s resort to the Programme is attributable to its “reckless borrowing and expenditures they have engaged in, in the last six years.”
Mr Gyamfi’s comments follow the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori–Atta’s call for an urgent conclusion on the Programme by March.
According to the Minister, without the Programme, the economy would crash.
However, individual bondholders want to be excluded from the Programme.
Throughout the week, individual pensioners’ bondholders have been picketing the Ministry of Finance in protest of their inclusion in the exchange programme.
On Friday, many Ghanaians were surprised to see former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo among the protesters at the Ministry.
Speaking to the media, she described the debt exchange as “wicked, disrespectful, unlawful and totally wrong.”
Meanwhile, given the new terms by government to which banks and security agencies have agreed, Political Risk Analyst Dr Theo Acheampong explained that government does not need individual bondholders in order to succeed in the rolling out of the programme.
Some experts also believe that although government said 80% participation is needed for the success of the economic recovery policy, the current 70% participation level can make a positive impact.
National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has mounted a strong defence for the NDC youth organiser in the Suame Constituency.
Mr Gyamfi says his “the message the young man sought to convey did not come out as intended.” He, thus, wants Ghanaians to forgive the him.
Mr. Gyamfi is of the view that the message the young man sought to convey did not come out as intended.
In a statement, he said the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has benefitted and continues to profit from violence as “we witnessed in the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-election, the 2020 Voter Registration Exercise and the 2020 General Election during which eight (8) innocent Ghanaians were murdered by state-sponsored bandits belonging to the ruling NPP.”
In his view, therefore, it is hypocritical that the Ghana Police Service “which failed to even comment on or take action against the NPP bandits who perpetrated these heinous crimes against innocent Ghanaians, most of whom are NDC members, will turn around to swiftly call for the arrest of a young man for misspeaking.”
He is calling for a pardon for the Suame Youth Organiser.
The Youth Organiser in an interview with the media was preaching violence against the NPP and urging NDC supporters not to hesitate to cause injury or even kill NPP supporters in their quest to win the 2024 elections to make former President John Mahama president again.
Below is the statement in its entirety:
We have taken notice of a video in circulation on social media in which the NDC Youth Organizer for Suame is heard making some statements that bother on possible reprisals to state-sponsored violence during elections.
We note that the young man misspoke, as the message he sought to convey did not come out as intended.
It is an indisputable fact that state-sponsored violence and thuggery have been the modus operandi of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.
The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has benefitted and continues to profit from violence as we witnessed in the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-election, the 2020 Voter Registration Exercise and the 2020 General Election during which eight (8) innocent Ghanaians were murdered by state-sponsored bandits belonging to the ruling NPP.
It is hypocritical that the Ghana Police Service which failed to even comment on or take action against the NPP bandits who perpetrated these heinous crimes against innocent Ghanaians, most of whom are NDC members, will turn around to swiftly call for the arrest of a young man for misspeaking.
Again, it is the height of hypocrisy to hear people in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and the New Patriotic Party pretend to condemn the statement of this constituency youth leader, when not too long ago, NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo and other NPP national leaders threatened fire and brimstone at a time when this nation had not experienced anything close to the barbarity seen during the Ayawaso West Wuogon and 2020 general elections.
We have not forgotten about the infamous “All die be die” mantra of the current President, nor have we forgotten about Kennedy Agyapong’s call for the murder of people of certain ethnic extraction in Ghana; a comment that was celebrated by the NPP.
Sammi Awuku’s call for NPP supporters to inflict pain and injury on their opponents with pestles is still fresh on our minds, and so is Anthony Karbo’s call for Afghanistan to be visited on Ghana.
We have also not forgotten about Wontumi’s call for an Arab Spring-styled violence in Ghana.
Whilst we do not subscribe to violence as a party, except in cases of self-defence, we cannot overlook the genuine sentiment and frustration of people who feel helpless in the face of incessant and unprovoked attacks and killings under this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
In the circumstances, we reiterate that the young man misspoke and must be pardoned.
The Ghana Police Service must stop harassing this innocent NDC activist, who clearly spoke out of the pain he and other NDC supporters have suffered at the hands of NPP thugs in the Ashanti Region over the years and rather, focus on arresting NPP bandits and terrorists who have attacked a Court of competent jurisdiction in Kumasi and have maimed and killed several innocent Ghanaians.
We urge the millions of our young supporters to continue to exercise restraint and not allow the fact that President Akufo-Addo rode to power on the back of so much bloodshed and barbarity to make them want to mimic Nana Akufo-Addo and his very violent political party.
The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has berated the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government over its misues of funds it mobilized to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, the government succeeded in wasting the money raised to fight COVID-19 only to turn around and blame the pandemic for the country’s troubles.
“@MBawumia @NAkufoAddo. You raised GHS21.8b to fight COVID but spent only GHS11.7b on COVID activities.
“You used the remaining GHS10b on “Budget Support”-the euphemism for your wasteful election expenses. Only to turn around to blame COVID for all your failings. Have you no shame?” parts of a tweet by Sammy Gyamfi read.
The NDC’s National Communication Officer made these remarks while reacting to an audit report on the government of Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure.
The audit report showed that nearly 50 per cent of the money the state mobilised to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country was used for budget support and not issues related to the outbreak.
The report, which was prepared by the Auditor-General’s Department, indicated that the government raised nearly GH¢22 billion, as of June 2022, to fight COVID-19 in Ghana through the Contingency Fund, the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU).
However, out of the total amount raised to fight COVID-19 only about GH¢12 billion (a little over 50 percent of the total funds raised) was used for activities geared toward fighting the spread of the virus and its impact in Ghana.
Read Sammy Gyamfi tweet plus the full audit report below:
@MBawumia@NAkufoAddo You raised GHS21.8b to fight COVID but spent only GHS11.7b on COVID activities. You used the remaining GHS10b on “Budget Support”-the euphemism for your wasteful election expenses. Only to turn around to blame COVID for all your failings. Have you no shame? pic.twitter.com/l1HBpSOnVc— Sammy Gyamfi (@SammyGyamfi_) January 22, 2023
National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi says the country’s debt crisis is a result of government’s refusal to heed sound advice.
According to him, government officials were throwing parties and drinking Hennessey when the NDC was sounding cautions about Ghana’s increasing debt stock.
This he said, is the reason for the country’s current economic woes which have become a burden for both the state and citizens at large.
The NDC spokesperson made these remarks while bemoaning Ghana’s current debt stock and the attendant challenges on Adom TV’s Badwam programme on Monday.
Since Ghana gained independence in 1957 till date, the current debt figures by the NPP transcends all debts accrued within this period. Meanwhile, they can’t also account for any rewarding projects they’ve used the monies for.
When we were advising them, they did not listen. Rather, they were feasting on kenkey, cooking waakye and throwing kenkey and waakye parties with Hennessey at the Finance Ministry, amidst innuendoes at us
This is the end results, Sammy Gyamfi said.
He added that, the excessive borrowing by the government was because of its ‘selfishness’ and ‘greed’.
Venting his spleen, Mr Sammy Gyamfi further dismissed the defence by government communicators that the current economic crisis is due to the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The sentiments by the NDC Communications Officer adds to the barrage of criticisms from the party as well as other citizens, given the current state of the economy.
At the moment, the country’s economic situation is at an all-time low, amidst a deprecation of the local currency against other major trading currencies including the US dollar.
Inflation is also at an all-time high, with the country’s end of year inflation for 2022 hitting at 54.1%
An infograph of Ghana’s inflation rate for December 2022, gleaned from the Ghana Statistical Service
Meanwhile, Ghana has reiterated its assurance on working to make the economy better.
Speaking at thanksgiving service at the Jubilee House earlier this week, President Akufo-Addo noted that he is positive about brighter days for Ghana, despite the present state of affairs.
National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, holds that the shooting of portions of a music video by American rapper Meek Mill at the Jubilee House is a manifestation of a breakdown in leadership at the presidency.
He is alarmed by what he views as the lack of leadership displayed by the president in the ongoing saga.
Sammy Gyamfi described the actions of Meek Mill as disgraceful and shameful and a desecration of the seat of governance.
He is mystified that the doors of a place of such significant value to the country would be opened to the American rapper for such content to be created.
He believes that the incident is a reflection of the widespread nepotism in the government, citing the president’s admission that Meek Mill was allowed to visit the presidency because of his daughter.
“It’s shame that we sat down as a country and allowed this disgusting thing to happen at the seat of presidency. It is difficult to brag as a Ghanaian because of some of these things. We allowed this concert at the seat of our sovereignty. Is Jubilee House now the entertainment hall of a secondary school? Is Jubilee House now a recording studio?
“The problem we have now is leadership paralysis. We have leaders who are careless and reckless. Leaders with no sense of decency. How do you allow this to happen at the seat of government. This is where major governmental issues are handled. How you dress to meet a person shows the respect you have for the person so for someone to dress like that meeting our president, tells you a lot.
“What wrong have Ghanaians done to President Akufo-Addo? Because of the widespread nepotism in his government, his daughter can bring in anyone and mess around in his office. We have turned the presidency into a playground. Which country allowed an American rapper to shoot a video clip at the presidency? What saddens me most is that he used the lectern for the president,” he said on Asempa FM.
Meek Mill has meanwhile apologised for the video which he says was taken on the blindside of authorities at Jubilee House. He took to Twitter with an apology, writing: “To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here.”
A few days after Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), wedded Irene Amankwaa, in a private ceremony, the couple have made their second official appearance in church.
In some pictures made available to GhanaWeb, the couple clad in fashionable white fabrics were spotted in the church to give thanks for a successful wedding.
The stylish fabrics sewed by the couple caught the attention of many who were at the church.
On December 21, 2022, Sammy and Irene wowed netizens with stunning photos of their private marriage in Accra.
The pair wore a vibrant green kente cloth for their traditional wedding, as shown in some rare photos made available to GhanaWeb.
The pair sat elegantly and dashingly during the proceedings, and couldn’t refrain from smiling.
The newlyweds further cemented their place as the most fashionable couple to close the year 2022 in style with their second series of photographs, this time donning exquisite coffee-coloured attire.
Some of the senior guys in the NDC, like the former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, the newly elected NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, among others, were all present to support Sammy and Irene on their big day.
Reports that NDC’s Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has tied the knot with one Irene Amankwaa Karikari are inaccurate, The Independent Ghana can confirm.
Social media got buzzing today after pictures and videos of Sammy Gyamfi’sprivate wedding emerged. It was said that his wife is Irene Amankwaa Karikari.
The said lady has however debunked articles and statements citing her as the newly wedded wife of the politician.
In a Facebook post, she wrote “You people should stop tagging me la. I’m not the one Sammy Gymafi got married to.”
According to her, such reports have gotten her husband jealous. The misidentification got her busting into laughter.
Irene Amankwaa Karikari is a politician who sides with the opposition party, NDC.
She ran for the Deputy Women’s Organiser position of the NDC in the Sunyani West constituency.
She is also a lawyer by profession.
Meanwhile, the identity of Sammy Gyamfi’s wife remains anonymous.
Photos of the marriage ceremony between the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, and his bride, Irene Amankwaa Karikari, have popped up on social media.
The now-revealed fiancée of Sammy Gyamfi is also believed to be a staunch member of the NDC.
The private event, being held at Chain Homes in Tse Ado, is attended by former president John Dramani Mahama, the new National Chairman of the NDC, Asiedu Nketiah, as well as his predecessor, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo.
According to mynewsgh.com, the marriage, which was scheduled earlier in late November 2022, was postponed until after the NDC’s National Delegates Congress, where the groom was seeking re-election as National Communications Officer.
Sammy Gyamfi later went unopposed after his opponent was disqualified, going on to win.
Sammy Gyamfi also has a son who celebrated his 10th birthday recently.
See the first photos as acquired by GhanaWeb below:
Ahead of the 2020 elections, National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, vowed to marry should his party, led by former President John Dramani Mahama, win the elections.
Mr Gyamfi who was optimistic that his party would win the polls, said he would climax the election victory with his wedding ceremony.
However, to his utmost disappointment, the NDC lost the elections to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), thus, he was unable to fulfill his promise.
Two years on, photos and videos of a private wedding ceremony of Mr Gyamfi have popped up on social media.
According to reports, this happened on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
The occasion was graced by high ranking members of the party, including the former President John Dramani Mahama, National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, outgoing Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, etc.
See the first photos as acquired by GhanaWeb below:
National Communications Officer for the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, is finally off the market.
MyNewsGh.com reports indicate that the National Communications Officer of Ghana’s largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), will “say I do” to his fiancée in a private ceremony in Accra later today.
Samuel Gyamfi, popularly known as Sammy Gyamfi, will marry his longtime girlfriend at a private event at Chain Homes in TseAdo with only a few invited guests.
The marriage, which was scheduled earlier in late November, was postponed until after the NDC’s National Delegates Congress, where the groom was seeking re-election as National Communications Officer. Sammy Gyamfi later went unopposed after his opponent was disqualified, and he went on to win.
The Chain Homes Private marriage is expected to be attended by former president and 2020 flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama, who will be the new couple’s special guest, as well as newly elected NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
Although Sammy Gyamfi has a son who celebrated his 10th birthday this year, Sammy Gyamfi has married the little boy’s mother since his birth in 2012.
The strictly-by-invitation event will see a pastor bless the couple in a simple ceremony.
MyNewsGh.com will publish full details of the bride for our readers soon.
It will be recalled in 2020; Sammy Gyamfi promised to marry in 2021 to celebrate John Mahama’s victory in the election. This did not happen.
Later today, Sammy Gyamfi will finally tie the knot and be off the market.
Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi is a former student of St. James Seminary Secondary School. Sammy Gyamfi continued at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in the Ashanti Region, where he pursued his first degree.
Sammy Gyamfi obtained an LLB at the same Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He continued to the Ghana Law School where he took his professional law course to become a lawyer.
He has served as a spokesperson for Exton Cubic and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
NDC’s Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has tied the knot.
It is reported that he married one Irene Amankwaa Karikari.
There is little information on Mr Gyamfi’s newly weded wife, but reports have it that just like Mr Gyamfi, Irene is a lawyer as well as a politician who works with the NDC.
Per details on her Facebook account, it is recorded that the said Irene hails from Sunyani.
Information on her parents, education and professional life is currently unknown to the media.
If she indeed got married, Irene Amankwaa Karikari will now go by the name, Mrs Irene Gyamfi.
Sammy went to the Ghana Law school where he was very as the SRC president. He was called to the bar on 5th October 2018.Sammy Gyamfi contested for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) position of National Communication Officer in November 2018 where he won massively beating his contender Fred Agbenyo.
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, his predecessor, have appeared in public for the first time since the NDC Congress in Accra that just ended.
The two met at the wedding ceremony of Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
Ahead of the election that saw Asiedu Nketiah, the former General Secretary of the party emerge winner in the National Chairman-ship race, the two candidates were actively engaged in a lot of media banters.
The last time they were seen together was on the morning of Sunday, December 18, 2022, just moments before the official results for the polls were declared by the officials of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
After the contest, Asiedu Nketiah won convincingly with a 5,569 to the 2,892 votes garnered by Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo.
Sammy Gyamfi’s wedding is a private one that was attended by dignitaries like the former president, John Dramani Mahama.
Contrary to believes that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is divided due the recent tensions brewing, National Communications Officer for the party, Sammy Gyamfi has indicated that NDC is united.
According to him, the disagreements were a usual characteristic of the contest which would soon end after the election of new executives scheduled for Saturday, December 17.
“The NDC is not doomed, the NDC is in fact getting stronger and stronger. In every contest there is a possibility of some acrimony and disagreements, once the contest is over we have always demonstrated that we are one family. We love ourselves.
“We have a common goal and that common goal is our focus and that you can rest assured that after all is said and done, we will unite and come together as one and work for the progress of the National Democratic Congress,” he said.
Sammy Gyamfi’s assurance comes on the heels of mudslinging and acrimonious campaigns leading up to the congress.
Speaking at a familiarisation tour ahead of Saturday’s congress, he said the party had put the necessary security arrangements in place to prevent any violent clashes.
“Adequate security measures have been put in place; we are working with the Ghana Police Service. Our internal party security will be here to complement their efforts.
“We have learned useful lessons from what happened in Cape coast and we can assure our rank and file and the general public that we will not have any such occurrence … so security will not be a problem at all,” he added.
About 9,000 delegates are expected to participate in the congress on Saturday.
It would be recalled that the national youth and women congress held on December 12 in Cape Coast, was characterised by disturbances leading to the injury of four persons and the destruction of property.
The party’s Council of Elders has since condemned the acts of violence and demanded for a full report of the incident.
It said persons found to have breached the party’s rules whether elected or not will face disciplinary action.
The party urged strict observance of the rules announced by the Congress Planning Committee to avoid the recurrence of violent events and to ensure a peaceful outcome of Saturday’s congress.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, and the newly-re-elected National Youth Organiser, George Opare Addo, to ceasefire on their public banters at each other.
According to him, the exchanges bring no benefit to the party but only serve as a distraction.
He therefore urged them to rather keep their eyes on the prize for the ‘Ghana we want’.
In a Facebook post, the former president shared two separate pictures that showed his engagements with Sammy Gyamfi and George Opare Addo.
“I’ve had meetings with our Youth Organizer and Communications Officer and agreed with them that the current exchanges must stop. It brings our great party no benefit and only serves as a distraction from the hardship caused by the reckless management of our economy.
Let’s keep our eyes on the prize for the ‘Ghana we want’,” he wrote as caption.
The two started their public exchanges just after the National Women and Youth conference that was held at the Cape Coast Stadium on Saturday, December 10, 2022.
Prior to the elections, Sammy Gyamfi openly campaigned for Yaw Brogya Genfi, one of the candidates in the race for the National Youth Organizer position.
However, the candidate, Bronya Genfi, lost by 25 votes to George Opare Addo.
Speaking in an interview after the elections, George Opare Addo expressed disappointment over Sammy Gyamfi’s position against him, adding that all efforts to reconcile with Sammy Gyamfi proved futile.
He also accused Sammy Gyamfi of being an influence peddler and questioned the source of his wealth.
National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has dismissed claims that he has six land cruiser.
According to him, he has only one of such vehicles he received as a gift due to his affiliation with former President John Dramani Mahama.
The National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has hinted that he got his land cruiser vehicle as a gift.
According to him, he has only one Land Cruiser which was given to him because of the love his benefactor has for former President John Mahama.
His comments follow the allegations made by some critics, including George Opare Addo, the newly elected National Youth Organiser, that he has numerous vehicles, including six land cruisers and a house at Airport Hills.
The critics asked him to disclose his source of wealth.
Speaking on Accra-based Onua TV on Wednesday morning, he said, “they said I have six Land Cruisers but I have only one and even that one someone gave it to me out of the love he has for Mahama.”
He, however, accepted the claims that he is wealthy and asked God to make it come to pass.
“I’m not the owner of those houses trending on social media. But in fact, the houses I am going to build will be five times better than those.”
It would be recalled that the newly re-elected National Youth Organizer of the NDC, George Opare Addo openly asked Sammy Gyamfi to explain his source of wealth.
According to him, he considered the contest between he and Brogya Genfi as being against “that Airport Hills small boy” Sammy Gyamfi.
However, the National Communication Officer has denied all the allegations.
National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, has accused the party’s re-elected Youth Organiser of hiring members from their biggest contender, the NPP, to openly vilify and attack him.
According to him, Pablo, whose mandate as National Youth Organiser was renewed last Saturday, held a meeting with NPP communicators last night and fed them with narratives to malign his person.
Speaking on Accra-based Onua TV on Wednesday morning, he explained that some of the NPP communicators who Pablo met last night, later called him to leak Pablo’s dubious intentions.
He said those communicators wondered why Pablo, a national executive of the NDC would want to stab a fellow executive, in the person of Sammy Gyamfi.
The NDC spokesperson however refused to mention the names of his informants, but tressed that George Opare Addo, popularly known as ‘Pablo’, was behind the scheme to have his name soiled.
“He met them (NPP communicators) last night and fed them with false narratives”, he stressed in the local Twi dialect.
However, the campaign coordinator for George Opare Addo, Abubakar Mutiu-Rahman, has refuted the said allegations by the NDC’s National Communications Officer.
In a statement shortly after Sammy Gyamfi’s claims on Onua TV on Wednesday morning, Mutiu-Rahman said Pablo has not met any NPP communicator as Sammy Gyamfi alleged.
He said Pablo is committed to the cause of the NDC and would not embark on any such treacherous move to destroy the party.
“The claim that Pablo met with NPP Communicators yesterday is false, at no point has Pablo met any NPP communications team, not previously or yesterday.
Mr Gyamfi must prove when and where this meeting took place as well as who the participants were”, the statement emphasised.
“There is no greater insult than the claim of being a traitor to one’s party; we will not countenance any more of such allegations from Sammy Gyamfi and his ilk. We will allow this to slide but let no one mistake it for cowardice.
Pablo is very much committed to leading a united front for the NDC Youth Wing. He’s willing to work with all and sundry to ensure HE John Dramani Mahama is elected President, so we can rescue this nation”, the statement concluded.
The comments by both parties come in the wake of the outcome of the NDC’s recently held National Youth and Women’s Congress.
At the said Congress, the incumbent National Youth Organiser, George Opare Addo, retained his seat in a keen contest again former Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser, Brogya Genfi.
However, the supporters of Pablo as well as himself believed that Brogya Genfi was supported by Sammy Gyamfi and other bigwigs in the NDC; including close associates of former President, John Dramani Mahama.
This has subsequently created a feud between Sammy Gyamfi and Pablo and his allies.
Speaking on Asempa FM yesterday, Pablo said he is disappointed in the schemes that were orchestrated by Sammy Gyamfi to remove him.
Meanwhile, the NDC’s National Communications Officer says he supported Brogya Genfi based on his rapport with him; adding that he did not go on rampage to attack Pablo during the contest.
Speaking on Onua TV, Sammy Gyamfi also denied the allegations that close associates of Mahama, such as the former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, were all behind Brogya Genfi.
He further discounted Pablo’s claims that he had spoken about his health during the campaign period.
Bono Regional Chairmanof the ruling New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye, DC, has waded into the controversy about a supposed mansion being built by the National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi.
Elements within the NDC have raised concerns about the source of funding for the said mansion, which is allegedly being built by the NDC communications officer in the plush East Legon Hills area.
In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, Abronye alluded that while a part of the funds for the construction comes from monies diverted by the previous government, a major part of the funding for Sammy Gyamfi’s mansion is from persons within the ruling NPP.
“The most important question footsoldiers must ask ourselves is: who gave him the money to construct the said building? What is his source of wealth in opposition? Or is it the case that he is benefiting more from this administration than those who birthed it?
“As a matter of fact, part of the money came from monies Mr. Mahama diverted from the state through several corrupt activities that occurred under the erstwhile government, of which we (the NPP government) have been unable to prosecute a majority of such cases; however, a large chunk of the money also came from NPP bigwigs,” Abronye wrote.
According to Abronye, this is happening at the expense of NPP members who worked to ensure the party attained power and continue to defend the party and the government without being rewarded.
“I know a government appointee who flies NDC communicators to Dubai for holidays so as to stop them from attacking his personality and the agency he heads as a CEO.
“Same NDC communicators will sit on TV and attack Akufo Addo left, right, and center, using all manner of words, and that seems not to be a problem for such CEOs and appointees because all they care about is their side chicks and themselves.
“The benefit Sammy Gyamfi and Co. have received from these government appointees far exceed what constituency executives, regional executives, polling station executives, and foot soldiers combined have received since this party came to power,” Abronye said.
Kwame Baffoe noted that he has had recourse to desist from defending the NPP due to the sheer neglect he and other members of the party are suffering despite working hard in the interest of the party.
While promising to delve more into the issue, Abronye asked that officials of the NPP and members serving in government stop giving out money to NDC elements while ignoring those working for the NPP.
Some NDC members have openly accused Sammy Gyamfi of being bought by the ruling NPP.
George Opare Addo, the NDC’s re-elected National Youth Organiser, openly questioned Sammy Gyamfi’s source of wealth.
This was after Sammy Gyamfi had openly led the campaign of Opare Addo’s main contender in the recently held youth and women’s elections by the NDC.
“Mugabe, ask Sammy Gyamfi how he built a house at Airport Hills. What work does he do?” George Opare Addo asked during a recent radio interview.
Read the full statement by Abronye below:
SAMMY GYAMFI’S MANSION WAS FUNDED BY SOME NPP APPOINTEES; SEVERAL OTHER NDC COMMUNICATORS ARE ON THE PAYROLL OF TOP NPP APPOINTEES.
I have seen a video of George Opare Addo which has been widely circulated by some npp footsoldiers and patriots concerning a house Sammy Gyamfi is building at Airport Residential area.
The most important question footsoldiers must ask ourselves is who gave him the money to construct the said building? What is his source of wealth in opposition? Or is it the case that he is benefiting from this administration than those who birth it?
As a matter of fact, part of the money came from monies Mr. Mahama diverted from the state through several corrupt activities that occurred under the erstwhile government of which we (NPP Government) have been unable to prosecute a majority of such cases however, a large chunk of the money also came from NPP bigwigs.
Indeed, not all NPP faithfuls can be appointees but all worked hard to birth this government. In fact, some persons who survived incidents that may have taken their lives just to see NPP win power in 2016 are the ones suffering the most.
As a footsoldier, what support have you received from the government appointees you see living lavish lifestyles on social media?
I know a government appointee who flies NDC communicators to Dubai for holidays so as to stop them from attacking his personality and the agency he heads working as a CEO.
Same NDC communicators will sit on Tv attacking Akufo Addo left, right, centre and using all manner of words and that seems not to be a problem for such CEO’s and appointees because all they care about is their side chicks and themselves.
The benefit Sammy Gyamfi and Co has received from this government’s appointees far exceed what constituency executives, Regional Executives, polling stations executives and foot soldiers combined have received since this party came to power.
In recent times, I have been calling on the president Akufo Addo government and his appointees to publish list of projects that have been given to Regional chairmen, Regional Executives and Constituency Executives since 2017.
I have informed the Chief of staff, The president, Vice President, former GS and Gaby Otchere Darko about this issue and nothing has been done about it. I have on so many occasions informed the president about how myself and several other persons who sacrificed to birth this government have been maltreated by his government and I don’t think the president can on any day deny this.
Those who sacrificed the most in 2016 are those suffering the most today.
Today, NPP is in power but certain serial callers, social media activists even struggle to make ends meet.
If I kwame Baffoe Abronye and my colleague Regional Chairpersons, Former Constituency Chairmen, Current and former constituencies Executives are suffering, how much more a footsoldier, serial caller, social media activist, etc..
It will amaze you that, party executives who are industrious farmers are begging for loans from a certain Bank [Name withheld] to expand their businesses, but to no avail.
These farmers have been denied support yet AKwasi Addai Odike has been given $50,000 by this same state bank to set up a factory in Kumasi and absolutely nothing has been done on the purported land.
Odike has squandered the money to the bone and yet he is always on Radio and TV insulting the President.
Same Akwasi Addai Odike was awarded a cocoa road contract worth GHS 10 million and sold it to our Chairman WONTUMI for GHS 800,000.00
Meanwhile the contract documents of party officers who are sustaining the party including my good self contract documents every now and then mysteriously disappear from the Jubliee house. Other die hard faithfuls have not even seen a contract before.
Is Odike better than our Regional Chairmen, our constituency executives, former party Stewart who are dying of hunger? Or did Odike sacrifice more than our teeming footsoldiers?
Again, Aseidu Nketia in 2018 had mining concessions from the late Sir John but NPP executives were denied same.
Today, certain appointees are still giving out juicy contracts to known NDC officers while our own remain neglected.
If Sammy Gyamfi and Co are enjoying today then we should blame some of this government appointees who are financing them.
Personally I have stopped defending the party because of this.
Some of our appointees pay NDC communicators monthly to stop them from attacking them but do not care about those who defend the President.
If all our ministers and appointees are like Napo, Ursula Owusu, Amoako Atta, Dr Afriye Akoto, Kan Dapaah and Ken Ofori Atta , Baffour Awuah, Kennedy Agyapong , Dr Boadi of Geftfund and our able and dynamic vice president then we are good to break the 8 because these appointees and “big men” are not afraid of any attack from the NDC let alone bribing them to keep quiet. These appointees especially head of state agencies should know that the NPP has a vibrant communication team than the NDC but because of their wickedness the party is today suffering.
I know several party officers and foot soldiers are suffering to death but can’t speak out. For me, I will speak out!
Breaking the 8 is possible only if our appointees will stop being self centered and greedy.
The irony is that, the few benefiting from this government are rather feeding NDC officers so that in the unlikely situation when NDC wins power they will also feed them.
In my next episode, I will name and shame NPP appointees funding NDC communicators and anti Akufo Addo crusaders.
National Youth Organiser for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Opare Addo, has confronted some party members for describing him as a double agent for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Prior to the election of the National Youth Organiser held on December 10, the camp of Yaw Brogya Genfi being supported by SammyGyamfi, the NDC’s Communication Officer, is said to have leveled a number of allegations against his contender, Mr Opare Addo.
Some of the claims reportedly included Mr Opare Addobeing affiliated with the NPP and also being inefficient as a National Youth Organiser.
In an interview on Power FM’s Inside Politics Show, Mr Opare Addo, popularly known as Pablo, stated that he has been discredited due to the false propaganda.
According to Pablo, he remains a staunch supporter of the NDC and has at no point in time shirked his responsibility since 2018.
In his submission, the National Youth Organiser singled out Mr Sammy Gyamfi as the orchestrator of the claims made against him.
“In 2016 in the Eastern Region, I financed more than half of the Parliamentary candidates. I gave each candidate fuel allocation of about GH4000. Were the NPP in power then?
“I donated my ex gratia to the party. When we started Reorganisation in 2017, I asked Kofi Potophe how much has been generated. He told me we have GH1000 per constituency to work with. I have GH1000 for each constituency.
“At that time, who in the NPP had money to give me some? It hurts me. When they speak, they provide no evidence. 80 percent of the people are destroying me, he (Sammy Gyamfi) is behind it. I have the evidence,” he bemoaned.
“They alleged that Chairman Wontumi sponsored my campaign,” he said, but swiftly dismissed such reports saying “I have never spoken with Chairman Wontumi. I know him but we have never spoken.”
Pained by the accusing fingers pointed at him, Mr Opare Addo has dared “anyone who has a single evidence that NPP has given me money to come out.”
He further described Mr Gyamfi as “an obstacle” and called him out to defend the building he has put up at Airport Hills since he is currently unemployed.
As to why he has mistakenly been affiliated with the ruling NPP, Mr Opare Addo explained that throughout his life, he has at one point or the other, lived with a member of the NPP.
He revealed that he attended Achimota Primary School with former NPP National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye also known as Nana B.
Furthering his education at the tertiary level, he resided at Commonwealth Hall in the University of Ghana with Sammi Awuku, who is also a former National Organiser of the NPP.
“I am also an Akuapim. The environment I find myself in, there will be NPP guys around me. In Legon, Sammi Awuku was my roommate for two years,” he added.
Mr Opare Addo clarified why he never reacted to the claims until now. He noted that his focus was to win the elections and after achieving that goal, he has to clear the air.
At the end of the voting and counting of ballots at Cape Coast in the Central Region, Opare Addo polled 533 votes as against Brogya Genfi’s 508 votes.
Meanwhile, Mr Opare Addohas called on the rank and file of the party, as well as non-members of the NDC to support former President John Mahama, who will be running on the ticket of the NDC in the 2024 general elections.
“President John Mahama is the HOPE of Young People. We’ve a duty & a communal responsibility to knock every door and fight through to make him President again. Come on board. I am leading you to the battlefield. Bring your energy,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
National Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has fought off claims he owns a mansion at AirportHills.
He says he’s not the owner of any mansion as being purported on social media.
Speaking in an interview with Onua FM’s Captain Smart, he described such claims as a prophetic declaration which he welcomes unreservedly.
“I am not the owner of any of the mansions displayed on Social media. It’s a prophesy and I receive it. It is my prayer that I can own such a mansion and in fact the house I intend to construct which is currently underway will be five times bigger that what is being displayed,” he said.
He also dismissed reports that he owns six Land Cruisers.
“There are reports that I have six Land Cruisers. That’s also false. I only have one land cruiser and that’s even I gift I received due to my affiliation with John Dramani Mahama,”
Mr Sammy Gyamfi and a mansion believed to be situated at Airport Hills have been trending on social media, following the first phase of the NDC National Delegates Conference which was held in Cape Coast. According to reports this building belongs to the NDC Communications Director, Sammy Gyamfi. This claims has been alleged by many including the re-elected NDC National Youth Organiser, George Opare Addo.
Mr Opare Addo challenged Sammy Gyamfi to come out and explain how he financed those projects.
However, Mr Gyamfi has challenged such reports insisting they are false.
Mr Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), has touted members of the party as individuals without blemish.
According to Mr Gyamfi, the NDC does not house any criminal as reported. He stressed that there is no criminal in the NDC.
He continued, stating that the NDC is a content-driven party and does not posses virtues such as greediness and selfishness.
For him, the opposition party is content with one vehicle as against six as observed in some political parties.
Mr Sammy Gyamfi also mentioned that he currently owns just one V8, and not six as being alleged.
NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has rebutted claims that he owns a mansion at AirportHills.
Speaking in an interview with Captain Smart on Onua FM, he described such reports as palpable falsehood, fabricated to tarnish his reputation.
He was emphatic that he owns no such mansion, however, he intends to construct a bigger one.
“This issue of Sammy Gyamfi owing a mansion at Airport Hills, is a prophesy and I receive it. There are reports that I have six land cruisers. That’s also false. I only have one land cruiser and that’s even a gift I received due to my affiliation with John Dramani Mahama.”
Mr Sammy Gyamfi and a mansion believed to be situated at Airport Hills have been trending on social media, following the first phase of the NDC National Delegates Conference which was held in Cape Coast. According to reports this building belongs to the NDC Communications Director, Sammy Gyamfi. This claims has been alleged by many including the re-elected NDC National Youth Organiser, George Opare Addo.
Mr Opare Addo challenged Sammy Gyamfi to come out and explain how he financed those projects.
However, Mr Gyamfi has challenged such reports insisting they are false.
“I am not the owner of any of the mansions displayed on Social media. It is my prayer that I can own such a mansion and in fact the house I intend to construct which is currently underway will be five times bigger that what is being displayed,” he said.
National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfihas refuted claims of corruption-related activities leveled against him by some unknown faces in the political landscape.
Speaking on Onua TV on Wednesday, Mr Gyamfi noted that he has not stolen from any individual and no one in the country can prove otherwise.
According to him, at the age of 24, he was well to do and had employed a number of citizens at a restaurant he was operating.
He noted that he has been blessed enough to live an honest life.
To critics and those mounting allegations against him, Mr Sammy Gyamfi said “you cannot destroy who God has blessed.”
Mr Gyamfi is hoping to retain his position as NDC Communications Officer when the party holds its National Delegates Conference on December 17.
National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi, is reacting to some allegations levelled against him as the party seeks to elect its national executives.
Sammy Gyami is alleged to own a mansion at Airport Hills, but he has denied the claims.
He is answering questions posed by Captain Smart on Onua TV.
Newly reelected National Youth Organizer of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) George Opare Addo has openly asked his fellow Executive Sammy Gyamfi to explain his source of wealth.
According to George Opare Addo who won reelection with a slim margin against Yaw Brogya Genfi, he considered the contest as him against “that Airport Hills small boy” Sammy Gyamfi and not Brogya, Opare Addo said on Live Radio with Mugabe Maase.
Mr. Opare Addo later dared Sammy Gyamfi on air to explain how he owned the plush property.
“As for this election, it was that Airport Hills small boy I contested not Brogya, I said today I will mention names… I contested Sammy Gyamfi and I won. He is a small boy. There is nothing he can match me on, I have lived life well. He is a small boy.” Pablo said.
Sammy Gyamfi openly campaigned for his friend Yaw Brogya Genfi to be elected National Youth Organizer but lost by 25 votes at the just ended Women and Youth elections of the party. Opare Addo was not happy with Sammy Gyamfi and said Sammy Gyamfi has become an obstacle he has to deal with.
“Yes, Sammy Gyamfi has now become an obstacle and in my way and this my second term I will not joke! I will cut away anybody who stands in my way as an obstacle. It is only action that we will see. Action action action….” Opare Addo said.
Popularly known as Pablo, the reelected NDC youth leader asked that Sammy Gyamfi explains how he built a house at Airport Hills and what work he does.
“Mugabe, ask Sammy Gyamfi how he built a house at Airport Hills, what work does he do?” He asked.
Opare Addo revealed previous reconciliation attempts he made with Sammy Gyamfi that failed.
“I called him twice for us to meet at my Dzorwulu office, ask him. He was at peace FM. I called him to come for us to sit and talk so that we can work together. So what is my crime?” Opare Addo revealed.
“I told him (Sammy Gyamfi) that the situation where he passes the other way when I pass one way will not help the party and I want is to work together to bring NDC to power, ask him if I am lying” Opare Addo revealed.
