The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Central Region has thrown its support behind the Minority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, amid the ongoing controversy over alleged financial losses linked to gold-trading operations involving the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
The party has also demanded an apology from GoldBod Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sammy Gyamfi, over what it describes as unwarranted attacks on the Minority Leader following his calls for accountability and transparency.
The Central Regional Executives and supporters of the NPP said Mr Afenyo-Markin was merely performing his constitutional and parliamentary oversight responsibilities by seeking answers over the alleged losses cited in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report.
The party therefore rejected any attempt to portray the Minority Leader’s demand for explanations as an attack on GoldBod or the government, insisting that Parliament has a responsibility to scrutinise the use and management of public funds.
Addressing a press conference at the NPP’s regional headquarters in Cape Coast, Central Regional Secretary Richard Takyi Mensah said the party was concerned about what it described as personal attacks directed at the Minority Leader.
He maintained that Mr Afenyo-Markin’s demand for answers over the alleged losses was legitimate and formed part of the checks and balances expected in a democratic system.
According to him, the Minority Leader had neither assaulted anyone nor committed any wrongdoing by asking questions about the financial operations of GoldBod.
“Today, one of our own stands at the centre of individual attacks, not because he has assaulted anyone or stolen state property, but because he dared to ask questions about the alleged losses at GoldBod,” Mr Takyi Mensah said.
He argued that the appropriate response to questions about alleged financial losses should be the provision of detailed explanations and supporting information rather than personal attacks.
The Regional Secretary consequently called on the GoldBod CEO to focus on explaining the issues surrounding the alleged losses to Ghanaians.
Mr Takyi Mensah warned that the NPP in the Central Region would not remain silent if attacks against the Minority Leader continued.
“As the NPP in the Central Region, chaired by Dr Joseph Kobina Essibu, aka Ideal, we will not allow anybody to attack our brother, the Minority Leader, and go scot-free this time around,” he declared.
He said the party considered Mr Afenyo-Markin’s position as Minority Leader a critical component of parliamentary accountability and therefore expected him to continue raising issues of national importance on behalf of citizens.
The party secretary further urged the GoldBod CEO to withdraw what the party considers offensive remarks and apologise to the Minority Leader.
The controversy centres on alleged financial losses associated with Ghana’s gold-trading and domestic gold-purchasing operations, with the issue becoming a subject of intense political debate between the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition NPP.
The NPP in the Central Region said the amounts reportedly involved were significant enough to warrant serious public scrutiny, arguing that such resources could have been channelled into addressing pressing developmental challenges.
Mr Takyi Mensah cited abandoned development projects among the areas that could benefit from resources that might otherwise be lost through inefficiencies or financial mismanagement.
He said the party’s position was not simply about defending one individual but about demanding accountability for public resources.
The Central Regional NPP also expressed full support for the Minority Caucus in Parliament in its efforts to obtain answers over the disputed figures and circumstances surrounding the alleged losses.
Mr Takyi Mensah urged Ghanaians to join the call for transparency, stressing that the issue concerns public funds and therefore deserves the attention of citizens regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the party would continue to support parliamentary efforts aimed at establishing the facts surrounding the matter.
The press conference was also marked by a strong show of solidarity for Mr Afenyo-Markin, who represents the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region.
NPP regional executives and supporters gathered at the party’s regional headquarters in Cape Coast, where they sang party anthems and political songs while wearing red cloths tied around their hands and necks.
The demonstration was intended to communicate the party’s support for the Minority Leader and its opposition to what the supporters described as attempts to intimidate him in the discharge of his parliamentary responsibilities.
The Central Regional NPP maintained that the controversy should ultimately be resolved through transparency, parliamentary scrutiny and the provision of credible answers to the Ghanaian public.
The party therefore reiterated its call on GoldBod and its management to explain the disputed financial figures and provide Ghanaians with clarity on the circumstances surrounding the alleged losses.
Story by Kwame Kakraba
