GTA CEO responds to Abeiku Santana’s concerns over access to her office

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, has responded to concerns raised by her one of deputies, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana, over difficulties accessing her for urgent official consultations.

In a letter written to the Board Chairperson of the Authority, Mrs Houadjeto said she operates an open-door policy, particularly for executive and senior management officers, and questioned the suggestion that her availability had been a challenge.

“In as much as I am surprised and disappointed that the letter does not reflect the true state of my availability to you as my deputy Chief Executive Officer, I propose that we strengthen our internal consultation and communication arrangements through the following measures,” she stated.

Her response follows a letter dated 22nd October 2026 in which Mr Aggrey, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer responsible for Marketing and Special Duties, appealed to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, to intervene in what he described as recurring difficulties in accessing the CEO for consultations on urgent operational matters.

In his letter, Mr Aggrey said he had, on several occasions, requested meetings through the CEO’s secretary or personal assistant, only to be informed that she was unavailable.

He said the situation had made it difficult for him to obtain timely guidance, approvals and decisions needed to carry out his responsibilities, particularly in domestic tourism, special events and marketing.

“This situation sometimes causes delays in operations, stakeholder engagements, and the implementation of key assignments,” Mr Aggrey wrote.

He stressed that his concerns were not intended as a personal complaint but were aimed at addressing what he considered a communication gap within the institution.

“My intention is not to make a personal complaint, but to highlight a communication gap that needs to be addressed in the interest of effective management and institutional efficiency,” he said.

Maame Efua proposes measures to improve communication

In her response, Mrs Houadjeto acknowledged the need for timely consultations and decisions, particularly on matters with operational, financial, strategic or stakeholder implications.

She proposed five measures to improve coordination between the two offices and the Authority’s executive management team.

These include scheduled executive consultations to review departmental priorities and operational challenges, as well as a clear procedure for flagging urgent matters and escalating issues when scheduled meetings are not possible.

She also proposed that requests for meetings be properly communicated, acknowledged and scheduled by the relevant officers, taking into account the urgency and importance of each matter.

Other measures include clarifying delegated responsibilities and approval processes, and encouraging regular engagement among members of the executive management team to minimise delays and ensure the consistent implementation of decisions.

Mrs Houadjeto said the measures were intended to improve the Authority’s overall management processes rather than address individual concerns alone.

“I wish to emphasize that the objective of these measures is not merely to address individual concerns, but to strengthen the overall effectiveness of our management processes and promote a more responsive, coordinated, and results-oriented institution,” she said.

CEO calls for collaborative working relationship

The GTA chief executive said management remained committed to professionalism, institutional discipline and harmonious working relationships within the executive management team.

She also expressed confidence that the two offices could continue to work together despite differences in schedules, operational demands or administrative processes.

“I value the contribution of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer to the Authority and expect that we will continue to work collaboratively, with mutual respect and a shared commitment to achieving our mandate,” she stated.

“Differences in schedules, operational demands, or administrative processes should not become impediments to the effective performance of our collective responsibilities.”

Mrs Houadjeto proposed a meeting at the earliest mutually convenient opportunity to agree on practical arrangements for implementing the measures outlined in her response.