Afenyo-Markin says GoldBod concerns focus on implementation, not individuals

Alexander Afenyo-Markin says his dispute over Ghana’s GoldBod is about how the institution operates, not about the people connected to it.

The Minority Leader said he had never named anyone while raising concerns about the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme. “I have never, on any occasion, mentioned anyone’s name. I have always been talking about the GoldBod institution,” he said.

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I have never, on any occasion, mentioned anyone’s name. I have always been talking about the GoldBod institution.

Afenyo-Markin described the programme as a worthwhile initiative introduced under former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to use Ghana’s gold resources to help stabilise the economy. The Minority supports that objective, he said, but has concerns about losses linked to the way the programme has been implemented.

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We need to elevate the conversation so that it doesn’t become a personality contest.

He pointed to concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund and rejected suggestions that the criticism had become a personal attack. “We need to elevate the conversation so that it doesn’t become a personality contest,” he said.

Responding to arguments that the reported losses could instead reflect exchange-rate losses on Bank of Ghana accounts, and that the central bank followed international best practices, Afenyo-Markin called for patience. He said a parliamentary probe planned for October would give all sides an opportunity to present their positions. “When October comes and we start the discussion, wherever the truth is, we will all get to know,” he said.

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When October comes and we start the discussion, wherever the truth is, we will all get to know.