A dispute between the Ghana Tourism Authority’s top two managers has been escalated to the President’s office. Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Marketing and Special Duties Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey – known on air as Abeiku Santana – lodged a formal petition on 22 October, claiming he repeatedly failed to secure meetings with Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto.
Santana’s letter said that each request to the CEO’s secretary or personal assistant was met with a response that she was unavailable, which he said slowed approvals for domestic tourism, special events and marketing initiatives. He added that the communication gap was harming stakeholder engagement and urged the minister, with the board chair’s knowledge, to create a faster channel for urgent consultations.
Houadjeto replied two days later, rejecting Santana’s account and insisting her door remains open for senior staff. In her response she expressed surprise at the portrayal of her availability and outlined five measures aimed at preventing scheduling or administrative obstacles from impeding collective responsibilities.
Minister seeks presidential intervention
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie said on Starr FM’s Morning Starr that she had forwarded both letters to Flagstaff House for “urgent redress”. She told listeners, “I’ve reported this to Flagstaff House, and I hope that in the coming days there’ll be some decisions taken that will inure to the benefit of the workforce,” as reported by Starr FM.
Gomashie also warned that the authority could not tolerate the strain described in the deputy’s petition, noting, “We cannot have the tension that you allege… not you, but the letter suggests.” She described the GTA as “the magnet of the tourism part of the ministry”, stressing its importance to Ghana’s broader tourism, culture and creative‑arts sector.
Presidential staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah later called the leak of the internal memos a breach that should be sanctioned, saying, “This is an internal memo. And once it's an internal communication, whoever brought it out has to be sanctioned.” Former COCOBOD public‑affairs chief Fiifi Boafo warned that the row sent a negative signal about GTA leadership and urged a swift settlement.
The timing of the clash is critical, as the GTA prepares for the December‑January “Black Star Experience” festival, its busiest period. The authority’s latest tourism report recorded 1,306,962 international arrivals in 2025, a modest 1.4 % rise on the previous year, indicating continued growth in visitor numbers.
Industry observers say that prolonged friction could undermine operational efficiency and erode confidence among partners ahead of the holiday season. While the minister has not disclosed what decisions Flagstaff House may take, stakeholders hope that clearer protocols for urgent consultations will be established, allowing the GTA to refocus on promoting Ghana’s attractions and sustaining the sector’s upward trajectory.
