Ernest Owusu Bempah, Deputy Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has publicly defended Sammy Gyamfi, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, following growing criticism over a recent public gesture.
Gyamfi came under fire after he was seen handing out bundles of U.S. dollars to Evangelist Mama Patricia—popularly known as Agradaa—during a public event on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The former priestess-turned-pastor has long been a controversial figure, and the public display of cash, especially in the current economic climate, sparked widespread backlash.
Critics questioned the appropriateness of the act and called for Gyamfi’s removal to set an example for other political appointees.
In response to the uproar, Gyamfi issued an apology, stating that the donation was a personal contribution and not meant for public attention. Nonetheless, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has reportedly summoned him to provide a full explanation.
Despite the mounting criticism, Owusu Bempah came to Gyamfi’s defence in a video shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He argued that Gyamfi had committed no wrongdoing or crime and dismissed calls for his dismissal as unwarranted.
“This noise being made about Sammy Gyamfi gifting dollars to Agradaa is dead on arrival. Nobody has the moral right to attack that young man. Nobody can attack Sammy Gyamfi on this particular matter. Has he stolen money? Whoever has evidence that Sammy Gyamfi has stolen money should bring it out and let the Office of the Special Prosecutor deal with him. Are we saying that because Sammy Gyamfi hasn’t had an extensive working life, he cannot boast of just $10,000? Let us speak the truth. Nobody should go around attacking the young man, and I will say this anywhere.
“We should be careful about the way we do our politics. If there had been a scandal at GOLDBOD, that would be a different matter. As for me, I don’t support such jealousy. He is a young man who has followed Mahama for a long time, and now people want to vilify him and get him removed. No — when young people are doing well, we should support them. He has apologised and admitted that what he did was a case of youthful exuberance. But the calls for his dismissal are misplaced.”
