Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has vowed to maintain his scrutiny of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), despite a growing public dispute with Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi.
The Effutu Member of Parliament said personal attacks and allegations directed at him would not divert his attention from questions surrounding the programme and GoldBod’s involvement in the transactions.
Mr Afenyo-Markin’s position follows a sharp exchange with Mr Gyamfi over the Minority’s concerns about the financial performance of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The Minority Leader has relied on figures contained in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, which he says points to losses of approximately US$1.7 billion incurred under the programme in 2025.
Mr Gyamfi has disputed the Minority’s interpretation of the figures and accused Mr Afenyo-Markin of attempting to damage GoldBod’s reputation. He subsequently described the Minority Leader as an “extortionist” and challenged him to pursue legal action if he considered the allegation defamatory.
But in a Facebook post on Saturday, August 22, Mr Afenyo-Markin sought to shift the focus back to Parliament’s oversight responsibilities, arguing that his actions were driven by his constitutional mandate rather than personal or political interests.
“As Minority Leader in Parliament, my responsibility is to help Parliament discharge its constitutional oversight function. My actions have been guided solely by that responsibility,” he said.
He rejected suggestions that his scrutiny of the programme was motivated by improper considerations or that he had acted outside the boundaries of his parliamentary duties.
According to Mr Afenyo-Markin, public officials subjected to legitimate scrutiny may sometimes respond by attacking those raising the questions instead of addressing the substantive concerns.
“In some cases, they may resort to false allegations, personal attacks and ridicule in an effort to shift attention from the substantive issues and make the person asking the questions the subject of controversy,” he said.
The Minority Leader maintained that such tactics would not deter him from pursuing the issues surrounding the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
“I remain focused,” he added.
His comments signal that the disagreement over the DGPP is likely to continue, with the Minority maintaining pressure for explanations over the programme’s reported financial losses and GoldBod defending its operations against what it considers misleading or politically motivated claims.
