Mahama gives dancer money; clarifies it’s GH₵500, not dollars

President John Dramani Mahama has sought to downplay the controversy surrounding the recent dollar gift saga involving the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, by clarifying a similar gesture he made during his Thank You Tour.

During a stop at the Old Ghanata Astroturf in Dodowa on Friday, May 16, Mahama handed money to a dancer who performed at the event.

Addressing supporters shortly afterward, he clarified that the amount he gave was in Ghanaian cedis, not U.S. dollars.

“To put on record that the money I have was GH₵500 not dollars,” he said.

Mahama’s clarification follows public criticism directed at Sammy Gyamfi, who came under scrutiny for gifting U.S. dollars to priestess-turned-evangelist Patricia Asiama—a gesture many deemed inappropriate and emblematic of broader concerns about propriety in public office.

After facing backlash, Gyamfi issued an apology for his actions. Mahama subsequently accepted the apology but cautioned him, urging restraint and better judgment moving forward.