-By Daniel Bampoe
President John Mahama is facing sharp criticism from Transparency International Ghana and sections of the public following his admission of accepting two luxury vehicles as gifts—despite recently launching a Code of Conduct for public officeholders aimed at curbing unethical behaviour.
The controversy erupted after Mahama revealed he had received two cars as gifts but claimed to have donated them to the state.
However, governance and transparency advocates argue that the acceptance alone contradicts the principles outlined in the very code he unveiled as part of efforts to promote ethical leadership and accountability in Ghana.
Contradicting His Own Code
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Michael Boadi, Fundraising Manager at Transparency International Ghana (TIG), did not mince words in his assessment of the President’s action.
“I think that the president’s accepting the two cars in the first place undermined his code of conduct,” Boadi stated.
“Right from the onset, he undermined his own principles and standards that he has set for his own appointees.”
The code, launched by Mahama in April 2025, places a clear prohibition on the acceptance of gifts exceeding GH₵20,000 by public officials—aimed at eliminating perceptions of impropriety or conflict of interest.
Boadi questioned why the President, as the initiator and guardian of these ethical standards, should be allowed to sidestep them.
“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands,” Boadi said. “How can the president enforce the code when he himself breaches it?”
Historical Parallels and Lessons Unlearned
The incident also rekindles memories of a 2016 controversy during Mahama’s earlier presidency, where the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) found that he had breached conflict-of-interest rules by accepting a Ford Expedition vehicle gift from a Burkinabè contractor.
Although CHRAJ cleared him of corruption, the decision was widely debated and contributed to public mistrust.
Boadi referenced this history, suggesting that lessons should have been drawn from past mistakes to avoid a repeat.
“There are lessons that exist that our leaders should have drawn from. Clearly, that hasn’t happened,” he emphasized.
Presidency Already Well-Resourced
Another key point raised by critics is the redundancy of the gift.
According to Boadi, the Office of the President already has an extensive fleet of official vehicles, and there was no need to accept or reallocate the gifted cars.
“The presidency has enough pool of cars; they don’t need extra cars. He could have said, ‘Thank you, but please donate this to an institution,’” Boadi suggested.
This, he argued, would have set a stronger example and enhanced the credibility of the Code of Conduct among other officeholders.
Broader Implications for Accountability
The backlash comes amid ongoing public scrutiny of Ghana’s political leadership and their commitment to transparency and accountability.
Many see the car gift issue not as an isolated misjudgment but as symptomatic of a broader gap between political rhetoric and ethical conduct.
While President Mahama’s swift handover of the cars to the state may have been intended as damage control, governance experts insist that the real issue lies in the initial acceptance of the gifts.
