Renowned Ghanaian journalist Gary Al-Smith has described the controversy surrounding the viral video of Sammy Gyamfi handing cash to Evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, as a critical moment for President John Dramani Mahama’s credibility.
In a strongly worded Facebook post on Monday morning, Al-Smith noted that how the President handles the situation will reflect the seriousness of his recently launched Code of Conduct for Public Officials, which emphasizes integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct.
“Fate has decided to check if JM is serious about his Code of Conduct just a week after he put it out,” Al-Smith wrote.
“The President’s massive goodwill is at stake and he cannot mess this up.”
The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows Sammy Gyamfi—the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board—handing over an undisclosed amount of foreign currency to Nana Agradaa.
The footage has stirred public backlash and sparked concerns about the ethical conduct of government appointees.
Al-Smith urged President Mahama not to repeat what he described as the mistakes of his predecessor, Nana Akufo-Addo, who, according to him, “failed similar tests” by prioritizing party loyalty over public sentiment.
“President Akufo-Addo probably had more legitimacy than JM does now, but he lost our trust because he failed similar tests—he chose to please his party to the detriment of prevailing public opinion,” he stated.
Calling Sammy Gyamfi an “NDC darling boy,” Al-Smith emphasized that Mahama must “choose what is right over what is easy,” underscoring the power of perception in political leadership.
In a more reflective tone, Al-Smith concluded his post with a personal takeaway from the unfolding scandal: “On a personal level, this is another reminder for me that, indeed, yawa no get timetable”—a local expression meaning embarrassment can strike at any time.
