Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, says President John Dramani Mahama is prepared to dismiss government appointees who use their positions to enrich themselves.
According to him, the President is closely monitoring the conduct of his appointees and will not hesitate to take action against anyone found engaging in corrupt practices.
Speaking in an interview on TV3, Smith said President Mahama had made it clear that public office holders appointed to make money for themselves would be shown the exit.
“He has said that those he’s given appointments to, if they think they’ve gone there to make money, they are joking because the moment he hears something, you’re out. He fires you,” he stated.
Smith recalled the President’s earlier sarcastic remark that “I’ll surprise them,” but urged him to back his warnings with decisive action when necessary.
“He must crack the whip as well when the time comes to crack the whip. We can’t just say that we’ll do it and we don’t do it,” he added.
His comments come amid growing concerns over alleged corruption in the handling of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports.
On Monday, November 9, 2026, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced an investigation into suspected corruption surrounding the sale of Diplomatic and Service Passports.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also cancelled 10 Service Passports and interdicted two officers over allegations involving bribery and the forgery of a signature.
The matter also triggered a heated debate in Parliament, with Majority and Minority Members of Parliament disagreeing over calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged passport racketeering scheme, which the Ministry said covered the period from January 2023 to August 2026.
Meanwhile, Smith defended President Mahama against criticism over the performance of security chiefs following recent cocaine seizures and drug-trafficking cases, despite earlier high-level security meetings.
He suggested that the President was preparing to take significant decisions on the matter but declined to disclose details.
“You don’t know what he’s about to do, and I’m not the one who is going to say it here,” he said.
Smith added that the President had indicated that he would take some serious decisions soon, insisting that the public would get to know what those decisions were in due course.
