By Daniel Bampoe
The controversy surrounding the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Dr. Mary Awusi has taken a sharper political turn, with critics portraying her as a combative figure within the governing National Democratic Congress, NDC, following a series of public outbursts targeting political opponents, religious leaders, and even members within her own party.
The latest episode of her attack on Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye—has intensified calls for her dismissal, while also exposing deeper tensions between the NDC and the opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP.
At the center of the storm is her widely condemned comment against Apostle Nyamekye, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, after he raised concerns about illegal mining (galamsey), polluting water bodies and preventing the church from using rivers for baptism of members.
In a radio appearance on Accra Fm, Dr. Awusi warned: “He is a man of God so that we will forgive him, but next time he shouldn’t come so low… next time… they will deal with him as a politician.”
The remarks sparked outrage nationwide, with many describing them as disrespectful and threatening toward a revered religious leader.
Under pressure from the Presidency, she issued a retraction, stating: “I regret the things I said… If I said things that didn’t come out well, I retract and apologise.”
Yet critics argue that the apology lacked sincerity and failed to demonstrate remorse, describing it as conditional and dismissive.
Tears
At the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) Trasacco, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, who is a member of the Church broke down in tears and publicly appealed to the Church of Pentecost for forgiveness, following days of national outrage over what many have described as “uncultured” conduct by a senior government appointee.
The emotional moment, witnessed by top state officials including President John Dramani Mahama and the Vice President, Prof Jane Nana Opoku Agyemang has since triggered mixed reactions across the country.
The Thanksgiving Service, held in honour of Debrah’s 60th birthday, became more than a celebratory gathering.
Addressing the congregation, Debrah acknowledged the offensive remarks made by Mary Awusi and attempted to distance the government from any perceived disrespect toward the Church calling it a ‘slip’.
However, that intervention has done little to calm public anger. Critics have rejected the “slip” explanation outright, insisting the comments were deliberate.
One reaction stated bluntly: “You cannot insult a respected Chairman… and then hide behind semantics.
Calling it a ‘slip’ is just an attempt to sanitize outright arrogance.”
The opposition NPP has seized on the controversy, demanding immediate action from President Mahama. Leading figures insist that Mary Awusi’s conduct reflects a pattern of intolerance and must be punished.
Calls for her dismissal have grown louder, with the opposition NPP arguing that failure to act sends a dangerous message about standards in public office.
“Mary Awusi must be sacked to serve as a deterrent,” one strongly worded reaction from the National Organizer of NPP, Henry Nana Boakye declared. In contrast, others insisted that “unqualified apologies cannot make a difference.”
Beyond the Pentecost controversy, Dr. Mary Awusi has also faced criticism over alleged past remarks targeting Samira Bawumia, wife of former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
She accused Samira Bawumia of controversial actions, labelling her a “Dangerous Woman”.
Critics, however, cite this as evidence of a recurring pattern of inflammatory statements followed by retractions.
Her critics further allege that her confrontational style extends beyond opponents to members within her own political tradition.
In some months ago, she openly criticized NDC grassroots members and made controversial remarks about internal party matters, raising questions about her relationship with the very base that supported her rise.
She told them point-blank that it’s not shouting “choboi choboi” that wins elections after enjoying the juicy position at the GFZA.
Suit Against Akua Donkor
Additional controversies have trailed her public life, including a legal dispute involving the late Akua Donkor and Wontumi Communications Limited over allegations about her personal life that she allegedly had babies with President Mahama. The state of the case is unknown yet before Akua Donkor died.
Mary Awusi who was the 2016 NDC parliamentary candidate for Asante Akim North filed the defamatory suit against the founder and flagbearer of the Ghana Freedom Party, the late Akua Donkor and Wontumi Communications for publishing comments which suggested that President Mahama was the father of her two children.
In the suit initiated in 2020, she was demanding a total of GHC1,000,000 from the defendants for claiming that the plaintiff was having an affair with President Mahama.
Rosemond Obeng
There are also unverified claims circulating in political circles about alleged intelligence-gathering activities during the 2024 elections, further fueling her controversial public image.
Rosemond Obeng, who was a receptionist at the Campaign Office of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, few weeks to the election jumped ship to join the NDC by allegedly trading information. She was later rewarded with a juicy position of Presidential Staffer at the Office of the President to the anger of long standing NDC members.
According to Mary Awusi in a previous radio appearance, she virtually confirmed that Rosemond Obeng snitched on the NPP campaign and traded the information which landed her the lucrative job.
She explained that what Rosemond did was very dangerous and that she protected her justifying her appointment at the Presidency.
The intensity of the backlash has even drawn in religious leaders. Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, reportedly responded sharply: “Tell that woman we’re not afraid of her… we’re not afraid of anybody.”
Such reactions underscore the extent to which the issue has transcended politics into broader concerns about respect and public conduct.
Meanwhile, the NDC has attempted to contain the situation, with party officials defending Dr. Mary Awusi and framing her remarks as an emotional lapse rather than a deliberate attack.
In a statement, Deputy General Secretary of the Party Mustapha Gbande said the party respects religious institutions and argue that the apology—however imperfect—should be accepted in the spirit of reconciliation.
For his part, Apostle Nyamekye has taken a conciliatory stance, indicating that he holds no grudges and suggesting that the controversy has, in some ways, drawn greater attention to the Church’s mission and its advocacy against galamsey.
His response has been seen as measured, in contrast to the heated political exchanges surrounding the issue.
