GTA CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto Fires Back at Abeiku Santana Over 'Unreachable' Claims

• Abeiku Santana wrote to the Tourism Minister, saying he could not access the GTA CEO for urgent official discussions
• Maame Efua Houadjeto described herself as surprised and disappointed by her deputy's allegations
• The GTA CEO has put forward five measures she says will transform how the Authority's leadership communicates

A brewing tension at the top of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has spilt into the open, with Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto pushing back against claims by her deputy, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Santana, that she has been consistently unavailable for official meetings.

The dispute became public after Abeiku Santana, who serves as Deputy CEO responsible for Marketing and Special Duties, wrote to Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie on October 22, 2026, requesting her intervention.

GTA CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto replies Abeiku Santana

In the letter, he said repeated attempts to arrange meetings through the CEO's secretary or personal assistant had been met with responses that she was unavailable.

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He argued that this had hindered his ability to secure timely guidance, approvals and decisions, affecting key areas including domestic tourism, special events and marketing.

Two days later, Houadjeto responded directly to the Authority's Board Chairperson. She strongly contested her deputy, Abeiku Santana's account, stating that she operates an open-door policy, particularly for executive and senior management staff.

"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 wrote.

The Instagram post is below:

GTA CEO explains her channel of communication

Rather than simply defending herself, the CEO used her response to lay out five concrete proposals aimed at improving how the Authority's leadership works together.

These include holding regular executive meetings to discuss departmental priorities, creating a system for escalating urgent matters when scheduled meetings fall through, and ensuring that meeting requests are formally acknowledged and prioritised based on their urgency.

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She also called for clearer definitions of delegated responsibilities and approval procedures, as well as more frequent engagement among executive management members to prevent bottlenecks and keep decisions moving.

Houadjeto was careful to frame these measures as being about institutional improvement rather than a personal dispute with her deputy.

"I wish to emphasise 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 stated.

Despite the public nature of the exchange, the CEO struck a conciliatory tone, affirming her respect for Santana's contributions and her expectation that they would continue to work together productively.

"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 said, adding that differing schedules and workloads should not stand in the way of the executive team fulfilling its responsibilities.

The Instagram post is below:

Abeiku Santana chooses Ghana over $100,000 US work

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Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote Abeiku Santana’s decision to choose Ghana over a $100,000 monthly salary in the United States or the United Kingdom.

The Ghana Tourism Authority deputy CEO said the country offers opportunities that many Ghanaians fail to pursue.

Santana argued that foreigners often act on problems that locals complain about, turning them into business opportunities. His remarks challenge the growing trend of young Ghanaians seeking better prospects abroad.

Source: YEN.com.gh