The Central Regional leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has thrown its full weight behind the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in his demand for accountability over reported financial losses associated with the Ghana Gold Board's (GoldBod) domestic gold purchase operations.
It said Afenyo-Markin was performing his constitutional responsibility by demanding explanations on the use of public funds.
Addressing a press conference in Cape Coast on Sunday, the Central Regional Secretary of the NPP, Richard Takyi Mensah, said the controversy should not be reduced to a personality clash between the GoldBod Chief Executive Officer and the Minority Leader, but should centre on accountability and the protection of taxpayers' money. The event was attended by the Central Regional Chairman of the party, Dr Joseph Kobina Esibu.
Takyi Mensah said the issue had also been discussed by economists and should therefore not be portrayed as a matter invented by Afenyo-Markin. He challenged GoldBod and other responsible institutions to explain the circumstances surrounding the reported loss and provide the relevant documentation to enable Ghanaians to understand how the figure was arrived at, saying the critical questions included who authorised the transactions, how the gold was purchased, and which institutions or individuals were responsible for the financial outcome.
He said the NPP in the Central Region would not be intimidated from asking questions about the management of public resources. Takyi Mensah also questioned the credibility of the GoldBod CEO, citing what he described as previous instances in which Sammy Gyamfi had made claims that were subsequently withdrawn or retracted. He said the party's concern was not to prevent scrutiny of GoldBod but to ensure that public officials answered legitimate questions concerning public funds.
Takyi Mensah said the Central Regional NPP would continue to support Afenyo-Markin and the Minority Caucus in Parliament in their efforts to demand accountability. He described the Minority Leader, who is also the Member of Parliament for Efutu, as a product of the Central Region whose political career had been built through various positions, including Assembly Member, Deputy Majority Leader and Majority Leader, before becoming Minority Leader. He said the NPP leadership in the region was particularly concerned about attempts to undermine Afenyo-Markin's reputation because of his role in raising questions about the GoldBod transactions.
Takyi Mensah said the party would continue to demand answers on the reported losses, insisting that public funds belonged to Ghanaians and should be properly accounted for. He urged Ghanaians not to be intimidated by political or public officials when demanding transparency and accountability in the management of state resources.
