Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has rejected suggestions that his criticism of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and calls for an investigation into reported gold-related losses are motivated by a personal vendetta against its Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.
The Minority, he said, had never targeted Mr Gyamfi personally but was concerned about what it considers weaknesses in the implementation of the programme.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Christian Yalley on Monday, August 31, 2026, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority’s concerns were focused on the implementation of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP) and not on any individual.
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“No. You are a media person, you have listened to all my interviews, you have listened to all my submissions on the floor. I have never on any occasion, not even once, mentioned any particular person’s name,” he said.
“I have always been talking about the institution, and the Minority contends that the implementation has not been good,” he added.
According to Mr Afenyo-Markin, the Minority is not opposed to the concept of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
He said the initiative was introduced during the tenure of former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as a means of using Ghana’s gold resources to support the economy and strengthen foreign exchange reserves.
“These are implementation challenges leading to these losses. It is not the initiative,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
His comments come after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reportedly identified significant losses associated with the implementation of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme in 2025.
The Minority has subsequently pushed for a parliamentary investigation into the gold transactions and the reported losses.
Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned why a call for an investigation should be interpreted as a personal attack on the GoldBod CEO.
“So if the IMF is saying that the implementation has led to these losses and we say we want to look into it, what is personal about this?” he asked.
The Minority Leader also welcomed comments by Majority Leader James Agalga supporting an investigation into the reported gold losses.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said a parliamentary probe would provide an opportunity for all relevant institutions and stakeholders to explain their roles in the programme and help resolve the controversy.
“My simple answer is, I agree with him; let’s look at it. Why not? It will help all of us to understand the whole programme, so there should be no problem,” he said.
He proposed that the parliamentary oversight process should involve key institutions and stakeholders connected to the programme.
“The oversight by Parliament, where all players will have an opportunity to speak to the issue, BoG, IMF, Auditor-General, offtakers, the aggregators – we will be able to now confirm what exactly has become the bone of contention,” he stated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said such an exercise would help establish the facts surrounding the reported losses and provide clarity on the implementation of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The controversy over the programme has generated political debate, with the Minority calling for greater scrutiny of Ghana’s gold transactions and GoldBod’s operations, while the institution has defended its role and financial performance.