Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Prof Ransford Gyampo, speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, likened the party’s current approach to “constructing a huge tower building without digging down a solidified foundation.”

His comments follow a recent meeting convened by President Nana Akufo-Addo, which brought together seasoned party elders and presidential aspirants to sign a peace pact aimed at ensuring a united front ahead of the internal contest.

While Professor Gyampo acknowledged that the peace pact was “good for the optics,” he questioned its substantive impact if the party’s core supporters remain disengaged.

“All over the world, I know that both Boklana and mass political parties are powered by their base,” Gyampo stated.

“So if you yourself argue that in the previous election, your own base did not vote for you, or your own base decided not to vote, then if you are trying to contest another election, it depends on you to do… what is necessary and what is important: rebrand and rejuvenate your base.”

He emphasised that, given the scale of the NPP’s defeat in the last general election, his priority would have been a comprehensive rebranding and outreach campaign targeting the party’s foundation—the ordinary members and sympathizers whose turnout is critical for electoral success.

“Who does that?” Gyampo asked rhetorically, reinforcing his point that no lasting political structure can be built from the top down without a solid, mobilised foundation.

As the internal contest concludes, all eyes will be on whether the winning aspirant can pivot quickly from intra-party politics to the more arduous work of base reconstruction, a project Prof Gyampo suggests should have been the starting point, not an afterthought.

“Given the kind of defeat suffered,” he concluded, “I would have gone for the rebranding.”

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In an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, Prof. Gyampo described the government’s ongoing interventions as “appropriate, though not exhaustive.”

“These initiatives may not be enough. Galamsey is still going on. People, including myself, are still calling for radical interventions. I still stand by my call for a state of emergency.

“But there is also wisdom in what the President is saying, which is giving him time to implement these interventions, and if they fail, he will resort to a state of emergency as a last option. So, I think we must all be seen to be supporting the fight against galamsey,” he said.

Prof. Gyampo also disclosed that Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves, will be revoked when Parliament reconvenes.

He welcomed the development, noting that it reflects the President’s responsiveness to public sentiment.

“I am happy that the President listens. In the lead-up to the elections in 2024, he promised that the law that encourages people to enter the forest to mine would be repealed. When they came to power, they said they could only take away the bad provisions.

“But we all said no, the repeal was a promise, so they should repeal it completely. After mounting pressure, today we are told that when Parliament resumes, the law will be repealed. That shows that the President listens,” he added.

Source: Adomonline

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Speaking to JoyNews’ Maxwell Agbagba, Prof Gyampo recounted a life-altering experience with Dr Boamah, whom he described not only as a respected public servant but also as a man of great compassion and dedication in his previous profession as a medical doctor.

“I have had a long-standing relationship with him,” Prof Gyampo said. “He is a personal medical doctor to one of my children that I thought was going to die.”

He recalled how, 18 years ago, his son had fallen seriously ill just six months after birth. While invigilating an exam at the University of Ghana, he received an urgent call that his baby had been rushed to the 37 Military Hospital.

Upon arriving, he was met by Dr Omane Boamah, who was then practising as a medical doctor.

“He assured me that so long as God lives, so long as he remains a professional doctor, the boy will live,” Gyampo said. “Today, the boy is 18 years old.”

Prof Gyampo shared that he has made it a tradition to send Dr Boamah a photo of his son each year on his birthday.

“I take a picture and send it to him, telling him that this is your son. This June, I sent him a picture, and we were laughing about it. He would tell me the boy has a bright future.”

Prof Gyampo also revealed that Dr Boamah played a significant role in his decision to accept an offer to serve in the current government.

“He was one of the reasons why I accepted the offer. Anytime there was a programme, he would call me,” he recounted.

Dr Edward Omane Boamah was one of eight people who lost their lives in the Sikaman helicopter crash, including Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman Dr Samuel Sarpong, and three military officers.

Source: Emmanuel Tetteh

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According to him, the first approach came ahead of the 2016 general elections for his hometown constituency, Mfantseman, and the second was in the lead-up to the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

Prof. Gyampo disclosed this during an appearance on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, where he addressed public concerns about his recent appointment under the Mahama-led administration.

“President Mahama first invited me in the lead-up to the 2016 election to contest in my hometown, Saltpond, Mfantseman. But I didn’t feel the time was right. In Ayawaso West Wuogon, after Boakye Agyarko’s death, the call came again. I was then a visiting scholar at the University of Bristol. But I insisted on continuing to teach,” he recalled.

However, he noted that when the opportunity to serve arose a third time, he accepted it with a sense of national duty.

“I thought that if they believe I possess qualities that can contribute to nation-building and development, then I should avail myself,” he said.

Source: Gertrude Otchere

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He wondered what the rationale could be for the Commission to decide not to grant all media houses access to the collation centres.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, November 27, Prof. Gyampo stated that he would usually want to communicate directly with EC officials to obtain a thorough explanation of the situation from previous years.

“I also kept asking myself, what was the situation previously? How were some of these things done? Was it that everybody had access to the place? Did every media practitioner have access, or not? What was the situation?” he queried.

Prof. Gyampo further questioned the objectives of the sudden restrictions on access to the collation centres, asserting that if, for the sake of transparency, all accredited media houses were previously allowed access to the centres, he saw no reason why there should now be restrictions or denied access.

“The point is that if previously media houses, for the sake of transparency, have all been allowed access, I don’t see why there will now be restrictions,” he said.

He also stated that transparency is the EC’s fundamental goal; therefore, it is expected of them to ensure that their processes are not interfered with.

Prof. Gyampo emphasized the fact that granting accredited media houses access to cover the collation of election results at the collation centres would generate a greater sense of transparency.

“So, if having more media houses there to ensure that they report on whatever is going on there to the public will bring about more transparency, I think I would support that,” he added.

However, he clarified that it should not be an open invitation for unaccredited media practitioners to gain access.

He advised that the Commission should clarify its decision and engage with the media to explain the reasons for the pronouncement.

“I think that the Commission should sit and engage more with you in the media and explain to you the rationale for wanting to impose that restriction,” he suggested.

He emphasized that once the EC thoroughly engages with the media on their decision, it would provide clarity and prevent suspicions about the matter. He expressed his belief that the EC would not hide anything from the people of Ghana.

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He cautioned that the ongoing constitutional dispute could spiral into chaos without intervention.

This follows the Supreme Court’s recent dismissal of Speaker Alban Bagbin’s application to overturn a ruling that suspended his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Prof. Gyampo argued that the situation calls for intervention beyond the judicial process.

“This matter, in my view, wasn’t a matter that was supposed to be settled at the court. If there are elders in Ghana, if we have a Council of State that is functioning, this is the time they would have to intervene and settle matters,” he said on Thursday.

He noted that the high level of political partisanship has hindered constructive mediation by traditionally neutral institutions, creating an environment where institutions are reluctant to resolve issues outside formal legal channels.

“We have succeeded in politicising every institution of government…such that we don’t have people in Ghana now with moderate influence, who will be able to intervene,” he observed.

Prof. Gyampo warned that the ongoing court intervention risks intensifying the conflict between Parliament and the judiciary, leading Parliament to resist what it may view as judicial overreach.

“This current matter before the court is not one that the Supreme Court can settle in a manner that will bring about peace… Parliament would assert itself and will not allow itself to be made subservient to the judicial arm of government.

“And so what is going to happen? Chaos!” he stressed.

Calling on the Council of State to step up, Prof. Gyampo urged eminent Ghanaians to assume the role of mediators to prevent a constitutional crisis.

“If the Council of State…wants to perform their role, then I think that we may be able to bring about some resolution to this impasse,” he stated.

Background

The Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin initiated the court process after Speaker Alban Bagbin declared four parliamentary seats vacant.

The Supreme Court, therefore, issued a stay in Speaker Bagbin’s declaration. The Speaker also countered with a suit seeking to overturn the Court’s ruling that suspended his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.

The Speaker’s legal team argued, among other grounds, that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction in this case.

However, after hearing arguments from all parties, including the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the Supreme Court maintained that its earlier ruling was appropriate, stating that the Speaker’s appeal was without merit.

Parliament to reconvene

Meanwhile, a five-member delegation of the Council of State, led by the Chairman, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, has paid a courtesy call on the Speaker to ascertain first-hand, happenings in the Legislature in recent times, resulting in the adjournment of the House indefinitely.

It was during this visit that the Speaker revealed that his office had already started processes to recall the House.

He said the office is working towards the recall of the House in early November.

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President Akufo-Addo on Monday, October 16, stirred controversy when he subtly reminded some victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage at Mepe in the Volta Region that he is present to sympathize with them although the residents do not vote for his party.

Many have criticized the President, describing his comment as insensitive.

The NDC in particular has not taken it lightly and has berated him for the comments at such a critical time.

Some have demanded an apology from the president, despite his assurance of the government’s support to the thousands who have been displaced in the North, South, and Central Tongu districts of the Volta region.

Prof. Gyampo described the President’s comments as “unpresidential and unacceptable” and should not be coming from him. . 

“The fact that he is the president for the entire country, he spoke well but there were portions of his statements that were unnecessary, they were unpresidential and they were unstatesmanly. I mean he did not speak like the statesman that he ought to be.”

Prof. Gyampo added that the country is confronted with a national crisis that requires good leadership rather than “nauseating partisan commentary.”

Aftermath of the spillage

There is a rallying cry for help to be sent to communities along the Volta Basin that have been affected by the spillage from the Akosombo Dam.

Areas such as Anloga, Sogakope, and Mepe, among others, have been submerged by floodwaters, displacing thousands.

This is a result of the controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams by the Volta River Authority (VRA) due to the rising levels of the Volta Lake.

Over the past week, the situation has worsened, with the government and various stakeholders mobilizing relief items to ameliorate the plight of the displaced victims.

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He explained that, due to the hung nature of the current parliament, the NPP should consider reaching out to the opposition party to reach an agreement with them to promote peace and enhance smooth governance.

His advice follows the Minority’s decision to boycott parliament to solidarise with their colleagues, Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda as they appear before court for their respective trials.

“The ruling party no longer has the muscles to flex in parliament. The parliament that we have now is not the parliament of previous years.

“And so if you don’t have that muscle to flex then the sensible thing you do is to reach out for the purposes of dialogue so that the necessary arrangements are made so you can have the peace of mind to be able to govern the country,” he said.

He also added that, this peaceful initiative may help them in their campaign to break the eight instead of going the hard way which might create a bad impression of them to Ghanaians, and might go against them in the national elections.

“…So that you can also tout your achievement as the basis for seeking to break the eight, but if it goes like this and there’s always conflict then it may also not end well for the electoral fortunes of the ruling party,” he mentioned.

On Thursday, July 6, the Minority in Parliament boycotted parliamentary proceedings to solidarise with their members of the Caucus, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, James Gyakye Quayson and Collins Dauda over their respective trials. 

About the respective cases

Dr Forson is facing a criminal trial in relation to an alleged financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in connection with the procurement of some 200 ambulances between 2014 and 2016.

Mr Quayson is being tried for forgery and perjury after he was charged by the Attorney-General’s Office.

He is also accused of deceiving a public officer and knowingly making a false declaration when he filed nominations to contest in the 2020 election when he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship.

However, he has filed a motion on notice at the High Court for a stay of proceedings, pending an appeal.

Mr Dauda and four others are also facing trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state over their roles in the abandoned Saglemi affordable housing project.

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