Transparency International Ghana has criticised President John Mahama over his decision to accept two vehicles as gifts, calling the move a contradiction of the ethical standards outlined in his newly launched Code of Conduct for public appointees.

President Mahama, who recently unveiled the code as a moral benchmark for officeholders, publicly admitted to receiving the two cars, which he subsequently handed over to the state. However, Michael Boadi, Fundraising Manager at Transparency International Ghana (TIG), says the gesture still sends the wrong message.

“I think that the president’s accepting the two cars in the first place undermined his code of conduct,” Mr Boadi said in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, 21 May.
“Right from the onset, he undermined his own principles and standards that he has set for his own appointees.”

Invoking the adage "he who comes to equity must come with clean hands," Mr Boadi questioned the president’s ability to enforce the Code when he has received high-value gifts.

“Appointees are prohibited from accepting gifts exceeding GH₵20,000, yet the president appears to be held to a different standard,” he noted.

Read also: Mahama donates 2 gifted vehicles to state pool

Mr Boadi further argued that the presidency already possesses a substantial vehicle fleet and does not require additional cars. Instead, he suggested a more prudent and ethical course of action would have been to redirect the gift.

“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,’” Mr Boadi said.

He also referenced a 2016 CHRAJ ruling that found the presidency in breach of conflict-of-interest guidelines in a similar car gift case, stressing that lessons should have been learned.
“There are lessons that exist that our leaders should have drawn from,” he added.

The comments come amid growing public debate about the practical commitment of political leaders to upholding transparency and accountability, especially in the face of mounting concerns over governance standards.