Former National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has apologised for the controversial remarks made by GoldBod Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, against Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Mr Vanderpuye said although Mr Gyamfi was responding to criticisms from the Minority Leader, the language used during Wednesday’s Government Accountability Series was inappropriate for a public official.
Mr Gyamfi had described Mr Afenyo-Markin as a “noisemaker” and accused him of having “bastardised and depraved” the office of the Minority Leader.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Thursday, August 20, Mr Vanderpuye said public officials must recognise the wider implications of their comments when speaking on national platforms.
“I wouldn’t use those words. I wouldn’t want anyone to use that on a platform like that. You are not speaking to only that person; you are speaking to the entire country,” he said.
Mr Vanderpuye subsequently offered an apology on behalf of the GoldBod CEO, despite acknowledging that Mr Gyamfi had not personally apologised.
“I will sit here and apologise on behalf of Sammy Gyamfi, even if he has not done that,” he stated.
However, his criticism was not limited to Mr Gyamfi.
Mr Vanderpuye also took issue with the manner in which Mr Afenyo-Markin raised his concerns about GoldBod and the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), arguing that the Minority Leader should have used Parliament and other established institutional mechanisms to pursue the matter.
According to him, the occupant of the Minority Leader’s office carries a responsibility to conduct political disagreements in a manner befitting the position.
“I’m saying that Afenyo-Markin also irresponsibly acted in a manner unexpected of a Minority Leader,” he said.
The controversy followed claims by Mr Afenyo-Markin that GoldBod could be facing a loss of about GH¢1.7 billion in connection with the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The Minority Leader has raised concerns about aspects of the government’s management of the gold sector and the financial implications of the programme.
GoldBod, however, has rejected the criticisms and defended its operations and the government’s approach to the domestic gold market.
The disagreement intensified on Wednesday when Mr Gyamfi responded to Mr Afenyo-Markin during the Government Accountability Series, using language that has since triggered public debate over the standards expected of senior public officials.
Mr Vanderpuye’s intervention has consequently sought to draw attention not only to the substance of the GoldBod dispute but also to the conduct of political actors and public officials in handling contentious national issues.
