…as Grassroots Spit Fire on Hilton Park Lane Show
By Gifty Boateng
A glittering event in a London hotel has sparked a political firestorm back home, as NDC footsoldiers vent their fury over what they see as a betrayal by their own appointees.
At the centre of the storm are Sammy Gyamfi, head of the CEO of GOLDBOD, and his deputy Emefa Donkor, accused by the party’s base of funding an event hosted by a fierce critic of the administration.
The fourth edition of the Women of Valour awards, held at the prestigious Hilton Park Lane, brought together over 600 women achievers from across the diaspora.
The brainchild of broadcast journalist Nana Aba Anamoah, the event was slick, well-attended, and politically inconvenient. For the NDC’s grassroots, watching from home, it was a painful spectacle: their appointees appeared to be cosying up to a figure they remember as a relentless opponent during the lean years in opposition.
Social media platforms have since become a pressure valve for rank-and-file displeasure. Facebook, X, and TikTok have been flooded with accusations of ingratitude and political naivety. The footsoldiers, many of whom worked tirelessly for the party’s return to power, are asking a pointed question: why reward those who stood against us?
Central Regional communicator Gabriella Tetteh did not mince words. In a post that has since gone viral, the sister of former Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh demanded structural reforms to future presidential appointments.
“The next congress should consider a new resolution for all aspiring flagbearers to provide us with a formula for their appointments,” she wrote, suggesting a percentage-based breakdown for party members, friends, family, and the general public.
Her frustration reflects a broader sentiment that the party’s loyal base is being sidelined in favour of fair-weather friends.
Others were more visceral. Zakaria Abdul Khaliq observed that some appointees “see sitting with Nana Aba and her gang as an achievement,” adding the damning Akan phrase “Twea kai” a warning not to forget. Frank Opare Sarpong summed up the mood: “Party members are seeking opportunities but we give the opportunities to non-party members.”
Amid the uproar, GOLDBOD Jewellery moved swiftly to contain the damage. In a statement issued on 8 March, the company insisted it had not funded the event. Its name appeared on the partner list, officials explained, because it offered discounts on jewellery purchases to participants as part of its Ghana Heritage Month promotions.
“The company did not contribute funds to the organisation of the event,” the statement read, emphasising its focus on manufacturing and retailing made-in-Ghana jewellery.
Industry sources suggest the participation was part of a broader commercial strategy to market Ghana’s refined gold and locally manufactured products to premium diaspora markets.
The logic is sound: shifting from raw gold exports to finished jewellery offers higher value and international visibility. But political optics, as the party is learning, are not always aligned with commercial sense.
On the night, the politics were more subtle. MC Serwah Amihere acknowledged the headline sponsor, the ECOWAS Bank for Investments and Development (EBID), alongside Travel Wings and GOLDBOD Jewellery. Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Sabah Zita Benson, was in attendance, along with Obuobia Darko Opoku of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
In her welcome address, Anamoah took a moment to praise President Mahama for appointing the first female High Commissioner to the UK in Ghana’s 69-year history.
“It took 68 years, so we want to thank His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for progress,” she said, acknowledging the administration’s commitment to a 40% quota for women. The irony was not lost on watching activists: here was a critic praising the very government her hosts were accused of undermining.
Beneath the social media tempest lie deeper questions about the relationship between the party and its appointees. The grassroots expect loyalty to be rewarded and criticism to carry consequences. When the lines blur when appointees engage with figures perceived as adversarial the base feels devalued.
For Gyamfi, the controversy is an unwelcome distraction. Multiple sources insist he played no role in the partnership decision, which was strictly a commercial initiative by GOLDBOD Jewellery. But in the febrile atmosphere of NDC politics, perception often outruns reality.
As one party insider put it, “The footsoldiers are not asking for much just to know that their sacrifices mean something. When they see their leaders celebrating with those who once mocked them, it cuts deep.”
The challenge for the administration is to manage these expectations without stifling the commercial and diplomatic engagements that come with governance. Whether GOLDBOD’s London experiment was a marketing win or a political misstep depends on whom you ask. But the noise from the grassroots suggests the party’s base expects answers and fast.