The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has revealed that former President John Dramani Mahama had made several appeals to him in the past to serve in public office, but he only recently accepted the invitation.
Speaking in an interview with Adom FM in a video shared on social media platfor X, Prof. Gyampo disclosed that President Mahama first approached him in the lead-up to the 2016 general elections, urging him to contest the Mfantseman parliamentary seat—his home constituency. However, he declined the offer at the time, citing that he did not feel ready.
He also recalled being approached by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest the Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary seat during the by-election following the death of Kyeremateng Agyarko. At the time, Prof. Gyampo was a visiting scholar at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and declined once again, opting to focus on his academic career instead.
“I told the party leadership then that I still wanted to be teaching,” he said. “So, I think this is the third or fourth time that President Mahama has invited me to serve.”
According to the political science professor, he eventually decided to honour the latest invitation because he believes in contributing meaningfully to national development, especially when called upon by leaders who recognize his value.
“I accepted the last of such invites because I thought that if the President and his NDC party think that I have something good to offer this nation, then I have to avail myself to service. That’s why I could not turn down the invitation this time around,” he explained.
Prof. Gyampo expressed his readiness to serve the country diligently in his current capacity, stating, “I am ready to work hard and help further develop the country.”
His appointment as Acting CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority marks a significant shift from academia to public service, highlighting a new chapter in his career trajectory.
According to Prof. Gyampo, he received invitations from President Mahama on different occasions to contest as an MP in Mfantseman during the 2016 elections, and later in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in 2019 but he felt those were not the right times.
He said he accepted… pic.twitter.com/wSPULs1QTD
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) July 15, 2025
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