The Hypocrisy in the Sammy Gyamfi-Nana Agradaa Saga: Why the Weak Excuses for Sammy Gyamfi Don’t Hold Water

Without Prejudice
Inasmuch as some of us believe this should serve as a cautionary moment and an opportunity for growth — that Sammy Gyamfi, still learning the full weight of his responsibilities, deserves another chance — the attempt by certain quarters to ridicule or downplay the legitimate concerns being raised is deeply troubling. That dismissive attitude is precisely what’s fuelling the backlash and dragging this issue on longer than it should.

For instance, in the wake of the viral Agradaa video featuring NDC’s National Communications Officer and Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC, Sammy Gyamfi, a barrage of weak, half-baked defenses has flooded the public discourse.

From “He didn’t break any law” to “It’s his own money,” and even “He was sabotaged,” the excuses are as endless as they are hollow.

This hypocrisy must stop. Are they suggesting that something becomes acceptable simply because it happened behind closed doors? That’s a dangerous and dishonest line of thinking. They’ve clearly lost the plot. Just imagine if the roles were reversed — would they remain this silent? We haven’t forgotten the very things they once condemned so loudly.

Let’s dissect this.
We are being told to ignore the optics and dismiss the outrage because technically, no law was broken. But since when did leadership become about skirting or only about violating the law rather than setting a moral standard? Since when did public responsibility depend solely on legality rather than ethics, optics, and consistency?

Some say
it was his private money.
Others insist it was a private event.
To Some this is merely us being jealous
A few claim he didn’t steal anyone’s money and therefore owes no one an apology.

Really?
This is the bar now?
Let me ask a simple question:
Were we not all in this same country when a District Chief Executive (DCE) was unceremoniously sacked just for saying, “Who said tweaa?” An expression that became a national meme. He was mocked, disciplined, and dismissed—not because he committed a crime, but because the optics and public reaction mattered.

Where were the defenders then?
Or when a whole Minister of State, Victoria Hammah, lost her job simply because of a leaked audio in which she expressed ambition to make one million dollars? That statement wasn’t illegal, yet she was immediately removed from office because it was deemed unethical and damaging to public trust.

And yet, today, some of these same voices are quick to dismiss the Sammy Gyamfi-Nana Agradaa video with weak defenses like “He didn’t break any law”, “It was private,” and “It’s just jealousy.”

We’ve seen others dragged through the mud, shamed, suspended, and sacked for far less. Public officials have lost their jobs over social media posts, leaked photos, and even unguarded jokes. In some cases, the offending act was merely being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

And frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of those rushing to defend him are doing so more to be seen — to be counted among those who ‘stood by him’ — rather than out of any principled belief. That performative loyalty only deepens the public’s disillusionment.

So here's another simple question:
If this exact same video featured someone from the previous government,

would Sammy Gyamfi and his defenders be singing the same tune?

Would they argue for privacy, intent, and “no laws broken”? We all know the answer.

This isn’t about politics as usual.
It’s about accountability.
It’s about integrity.
And above all, it’s about consistency.
When you weaponize moral outrage against others, you lose the moral authority to ask for nuance and forgiveness when it’s your turn in the spotlight. Sammy Gyamfi has been at the forefront of the most brutal takedowns of public officials, many of whom were never accused of anything remotely illegal—only that they represented bad optics or questionable judgment.

So why should he be treated differently?
He’s not special. He doesn’t get a pass. What is good for the goose must be good for the gander. If we are serious about leadership, ethics, and public trust, we must hold all leaders to the same standard—regardless of political colour.

Because some are not more human than others. And some mistakes don’t hurt less just because it’s “your guy” making them.

Let’s be fair.
Let’s be principled.
And above all, let’s stop the hypocrisy.

#Puobabangna
By Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance from Eggu in the Upper West Region of Ghana