‘I Didn’t Sack Gameli’ — Miracles Aboagye Explains IMCC Staff Shake-Up

Date: August 12, 2026
By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi/ Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada

Former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC), Dennis “Miracles” Aboagye, has rejected claims that he personally sacked his successor, Dr. Dominic Gameli Hoedoafia, and other staff members during his tenure.

Aboagye’s comments come amid renewed controversy surrounding his time at the IMCC and the ongoing investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) into alleged financial and procurement irregularities at the institution.

The former IMCC boss has faced intense public scrutiny since his arrest by EOCO in July 2026 in connection with allegations involving public funds. He was subsequently granted bail of GH¢50 million and has consistently disputed aspects of the allegations against him.

The latest dispute, however, concerns events surrounding the restructuring of the IMCC Secretariat and the departure of several employees during Aboagye’s tenure.

Miracles denies personally dismissing Gameli

Aboagye has sought to clarify the circumstances surrounding the removal of Dr. Gameli Hoedoafia and other staff members from the IMCC Secretariat.

According to accounts surrounding the controversy, five staff members were affected by changes at the Secretariat during Aboagye’s tenure, with Hoedoafia among those whose employment situation became contentious.

A report on the matter previously attributed the decision to Aboagye, with Hoedoafia reportedly alleging that he and four other employees were informed there were insufficient funds to retain them.

Hoedoafia had served at the institution since 2012 and later became the Executive Secretary after Aboagye’s tenure ended.

Aboagye, however, has rejected the characterisation that he personally “sacked” Gameli.

His explanation is that the changes were connected to broader institutional and administrative circumstances rather than a personal decision to terminate Gameli’s employment.

Who is Gameli Hoedoafia?

Dr. Dominic Gameli Hoedoafia is currently the Executive Secretary of the IMCC Secretariat.

He assumed the position after Aboagye handed over the administration of the Secretariat in February 2025.

Aboagye had been appointed Executive Secretary of the IMCC on August 15, 2022, by then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. His appointment came in addition to his responsibilities as a presidential staffer responsible for local government, decentralisation and rural development.

Hoedoafia subsequently took over the institution and commissioned a forensic audit into its financial administration during Aboagye’s tenure.

That audit has now become central to the wider controversy between the two men.

The staff shake-up

The disagreement over the staff changes predates the current EOCO investigation.

Reports indicate that several staff members were affected by an administrative restructuring while Aboagye was Executive Secretary.

Hoedoafia has previously described the development as a controversial episode, alleging that five employees were removed from the Secretariat.

According to his account, the affected workers were told there were insufficient funds to maintain their positions.

The affected employees reportedly challenged the decision through legal channels, after which they were transferred to the Civil Service.

Hoedoafia was later posted to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources before eventually returning to the IMCC in a leadership role.

The dispute has therefore raised questions about whether the process used to remove or transfer the workers complied fully with the applicable public-service and labour procedures.

Aboagye’s explanation

Aboagye’s position is that it is inaccurate to reduce what happened to the description that he simply “sacked Gameli.”

His explanation seeks to place the decision within the institutional circumstances prevailing at the time.

The former Executive Secretary maintains that administrative decisions at the IMCC were influenced by the organisation’s structure, available resources and the broader changes affecting the Secretariat.

This distinction is important because the IMCC is a public institution operating within Ghana’s public-service framework.

The Secretariat itself has previously explained that following the passage of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), its staff were integrated into the Office of the President and the Civil Service as part of reforms to strengthen Ghana’s decentralisation system.

The controversy takes a political turn

The latest disagreement cannot be completely separated from the political tensions surrounding Aboagye.

Aboagye is a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party and served as a communicator and spokesperson associated with former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

His arrest by EOCO in July generated significant political debate, with NPP figures questioning the circumstances surrounding the investigation and the GH¢50 million bail conditions imposed on him.

Aboagye himself has alleged that political considerations may have influenced the manner in which his case was handled.

He has specifically claimed that his successor at the IMCC was pressured to find something against him because of his criticism of the government.

The IMCC Secretariat has strongly rejected that allegation.

IMCC disputes Aboagye’s claims

In a statement issued on July 27, the IMCC Secretariat rejected several of Aboagye’s claims and described some of his comments as inaccurate and unsubstantiated.

The Secretariat said a forensic audit conducted in 2025 found Aboagye and the institution’s former Accountant jointly and personally responsible for a number of financial irregularities.

It said Aboagye was given an opportunity to respond to the findings before the completed audit report was submitted to EOCO.

The Secretariat has also rejected claims that the investigation was politically motivated.

The GH¢102 million bank-account allegation

One of the most serious claims made by the IMCC concerns an undisclosed bank account.

The Secretariat alleged that Aboagye, through his lawyer and a mutual acquaintance, requested a meeting with the current Executive Secretary in July 2025.

According to the Secretariat, Aboagye allegedly asked that portions of the forensic audit be removed, including findings relating to two bank accounts.

One of the accounts, the Secretariat claimed, recorded transactions totalling GH¢102,256,802.69 but was allegedly not disclosed in the official handing-over notes.

The Secretariat said the Executive Secretary rejected the request.

These allegations remain part of the broader dispute and should not be treated as established criminal findings against Aboagye unless and until they are proven through the appropriate legal process.

Aboagye disputes the wider allegations

Aboagye has maintained that he has no problem accounting for his stewardship as a former public official.

His main objection has been to what he considers an inaccurate portrayal of the financial allegations against him.

Following his release from EOCO custody, he disputed reports that the investigation concerned GH¢55 million.

He said the specific issue he had been asked to address related to approximately GH¢5.2 million, alongside other transactions he discussed during a radio interview.

He has also said he does not have a problem with EOCO conducting its investigation.

His concern, according to his public comments, is with how information about the investigation has been presented.

From staff dispute to forensic audit

The developments surrounding the IMCC illustrate how an administrative dispute has evolved into a much larger political and legal controversy.

Aboagye’s tenure ended on February 2, 2025, after which Hoedoafia assumed the leadership of the Secretariat.

The new administration subsequently commissioned a forensic audit covering the period of Aboagye’s tenure.

The audit reportedly examined financial and procurement activities and later became part of the material submitted to EOCO.

That sequence has become important because Aboagye’s critics view the audit findings as evidence that questions about his administration go beyond a political disagreement.

His supporters, meanwhile, have questioned whether the investigation and public discussion surrounding it are being influenced by political considerations.

What happened to the affected staff?

The fate of the five employees remains an important part of the story.

Reports indicate that they challenged the decision affecting their positions and were subsequently transferred into the Civil Service.

Hoedoafia reportedly argued that the explanation given for their removal suggested a redundancy exercise, but that the proper redundancy procedure was not followed.

Aboagye’s latest explanation therefore brings the focus back to the question of who actually made the decision, what authority was used, and what administrative procedure was followed.

Those questions are particularly important because public institutions are expected to follow established rules when hiring, terminating, transferring or restructuring staff.

Why the distinction matters

Whether Aboagye personally “sacked” Gameli is more than a matter of semantics.

If the decision was formally taken by an institution or under an approved restructuring process, attributing the entire decision personally to the Executive Secretary could give the public an incomplete picture.

Conversely, if the Executive Secretary personally directed the removal of staff without following the appropriate procedures, that could raise legitimate administrative questions.

The available accounts from the two sides differ significantly.

That makes documentary evidence—including appointment letters, termination notices, transfer documents, minutes and official correspondence—particularly important in establishing exactly what happened.

EOCO investigation continues

While the staff shake-up is now attracting renewed attention, the more immediate legal issue remains EOCO’s investigation into alleged financial irregularities during Aboagye’s tenure.

EOCO arrested him at Kotoka International Airport on July 12 after he returned to Ghana.

He was later granted bail of GH¢50 million with three sureties, two of whom were required to justify their sureties with landed property.

The allegations remain under investigation, and Aboagye has not been convicted of any offence in connection with the probe.

A politically sensitive case

The controversy has become increasingly political because of Aboagye’s role in the NPP.

His public profile has grown considerably in recent years, particularly through his work as a political communicator and his association with Dr. Bawumia.

He had also announced an intention to contest for the NPP’s National Communications Director position before his arrest.

His supporters have consequently questioned whether the timing of the investigation and his political ambitions are connected.

The government and the IMCC Secretariat have rejected suggestions of political victimisation.

The bigger question of public-sector accountability

Beyond the political personalities involved, the IMCC controversy raises a broader issue about accountability within Ghana’s public institutions.

Government agencies and committees handle public funds and employ public servants, making transparency in administrative and financial decisions essential.

When allegations emerge years after an official has left office, the public deserves clear answers about what decisions were made, who authorised them and whether the appropriate procedures were followed.

At the same time, individuals accused of wrongdoing are entitled to due process and should not be treated as guilty before a court makes a determination.

What happens next?

The immediate focus is likely to remain on EOCO’s investigation and the competing accounts from Aboagye and the current IMCC administration.

The former Executive Secretary insists that he did not personally sack Gameli and has offered an explanation for the staff changes.

The IMCC Secretariat, meanwhile, has defended its institutional position and maintained that its forensic audit identified serious financial irregularities that required further investigation.

As the legal and administrative issues continue to unfold, documents and official findings will be crucial in determining which version of events is supported by evidence.

For now, the dispute over the IMCC staff shake-up adds another layer to the growing controversy surrounding Dennis “Miracles” Aboagye.

What began as questions over administrative changes at a government institution has now become part of a much wider debate involving public accountability, political power, financial investigations and the independence of Ghana’s anti-corruption institutions.