A Ghanaian women and children’s rights advocate has formally petitioned the President to revoke the appointment of Professor Ransford Edward van Gyampo as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, citing concerns over sexual harassment allegations and the moral integrity of public office.
Perpetual L. Akwada, in a petition addressed to the President, argued that Prof. Gyampo’s appointment undermines national efforts to protect women and girls and sends a harmful signal about tolerance for abuse in Ghana.
Ms. Akwada referred to Prof. Gyampo’s involvement in the BBC Sex for Grades investigation, which implicated him in sexual harassment of female students at the University of Ghana. She said placing him in a national leadership role “undermines both the moral integrity of public office and the safety of women and girls in Ghana.”
Concerns over sexual violence
The petition situates the concerns within broader national trends on sexual violence. Quoting the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, Ms. Akwada noted that 14.1% of women aged 15–49 have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, with 6% reporting incidents in the previous 12 months.
She further highlighted 2025 statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service, showing that 81.9% of women aged 18–29 who reported forced sex experienced their first incident before age 18, with the Volta Region recording the highest district-level prevalence at 22.3%. Police data for 2025 indicated 10,433 sexual assault cases across Greater Accra, Central, and Ashanti regions.
“Victims of this pervasive culture face cultural stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of institutional trust, leading to widespread underreporting of sexual violence,” the petition stated.
Calls for accountability
Ms. Akwada said appointing someone publicly associated with sexual harassment allegations “sends a harmful signal to the vulnerable that in Ghana, power shields misconduct.” She warned that such appointments discourage reporting, embolden abusers, and undermine progress toward gender equality and safe schools and workplaces.
Addressing the President directly, she framed her appeal in moral terms, urging him to consider the impact on women, including Ghana’s first female Vice President. “We must demonstrate to the citizenry that public office is and must remain a refuge for integrity and not a citadel for misconduct,” she wrote.
Demands
The petition calls on the President to:
- Revoke Prof. Gyampo’s appointment as CEO of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority.
- Affirm that individuals associated with sexual harassment or abuse are ineligible for high public office.
- Reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to protecting women and girls from abuse.
- Revise the 2025 Code of Conduct to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment by public officials.
Ms. Akwada described the moment as critical for the country’s moral direction and urged decisive action to ensure that “abuse of power will never be rewarded in our Republic.”
Source: www.kumasimail.com
