The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has thrown its full weight behind Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and the Minority Caucus in their demand for answers over reported losses of about GH¢22 billion involving the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod). The party says it considers the matter a national accountability issue rather than a partisan political dispute and has urged the Minority to deploy every parliamentary mechanism available to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the reported losses. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, August 25, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye said the party had no reservations about the Minority’s position and would continue to support its efforts to obtain a full and transparent account. “We are fully behind the Minority.
On behalf of the entire New Patriotic Party, there is no confusion anywhere. We are fully behind the mighty Minority,” he said. Mr Nana Boakye said the party’s backing extended to every member of the Minority Caucus under the leadership of Mr Afenyo-Markin, particularly in its efforts to raise questions on the floor of Parliament and demand accountability from GoldBod. He said the NPP supported the Minority’s scrutiny of the reported losses and its demand for an explanation of how an institution entrusted with the purchase and protection of Ghana’s gold could become associated with losses of such magnitude. “We wholeheartedly support each member of our Minority Caucus in this struggle,” he said. “We back their questions, we back their scrutiny, we back their demand for a full, transparent account of how a state institution charged with buying and protecting Ghana’s gold ended up presiding over such huge losses of this magnitude.”
The NPP National Organiser cautioned against reducing the controversy to a political confrontation between the governing side and the opposition. “This is not partisan politics. This is a national duty,” he said, stressing that public officials and institutions must account for public resources placed under their control. According to him, any government that assumes office becomes accountable to the Ghanaian people for the management of state resources. “Whoever governs this country is answerable to the people who elected them. They are answerable to every dollar of the people’s money that passes through their hands,” he said. Mr Nana Boakye said the NPP would not retreat from the matter until the questions raised by the Minority received satisfactory answers through appropriate public scrutiny. “We are not backing off, not now, not tomorrow, not until every question is answered in full and in public and under proper scrutiny,” he said.
Mr Nana Boakye also challenged the Minority Caucus to make extensive use of Parliament’s procedures and oversight powers in pursuing the matter. He urged the Minority Leader and his colleagues to utilise parliamentary questions, committee hearings, requests for documents, points of order and other mechanisms available under Parliament’s Standing Orders. “Use every relevant law in the books, every question on the floor of Parliament, every committee hearing, every request for documents, every order paper, every point of order,” he said. He further encouraged the caucus to use the full range of tools provided by the Standing Orders to ensure that the issues surrounding GoldBod were properly examined. Mr Nana Boakye said Parliament’s responsibility was ultimately to the Ghanaian people and not to the interests of individuals occupying public office. “The Parliament belongs to the people of Ghana, not to the convenience of whoever is in the office,” he said.
Beyond parliamentary proceedings, the NPP National Organiser urged the Minority to take the matter to the wider Ghanaian public and continue pressing for explanations. He said Ghanaians had a right to know what had happened to public resources and should demand transparency from state institutions. “Fight for the people of Ghana in the court of public opinion as well. Fight until the Ghanaian people receive all the answers they deserve,” he said. Mr Nana Boakye assured the Minority of the party’s continued support, saying the NPP would remain vigilant as the parliamentary process unfolded. “In writing and the oath, if necessary, the New Patriotic Party remains vigilant. Our Minority Caucus will not look away,” he said.
The controversy has in recent days generated accusations and counter-accusations between the Minority and GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi, with both sides disputing responsibility in relation to the reported losses. The NPP’s latest position signals that the opposition party intends to maintain pressure on the issue and use parliamentary oversight and public engagement to seek further clarification on the reported GH¢22 billion figure and the circumstances surrounding it.
By: Joyce Owusu
