The sixteen Regional Chairmen of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have thrown their full support behind the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Mr Sammy Gyamfi, dismissing attacks against him as an attempt to undermine his performance and the achievements of the institution.
In a joint statement issued on behalf of regional executives, constituency structures and the rank and file of the party across Ghana, the Regional Chairmen said they remained confident in Mr Gyamfi’s leadership and the direction of GoldBod.
The statement, issued by the Central Regional Chairman and Secretary to the Caucus of the sixteen Regional Chairmen, Comrade Nana Dr. Richard Asiedu, said GoldBod had undergone a remarkable transformation since its establishment.
GoldBod transformed within a short period
The Regional Chairmen said Mr Gyamfi had, in barely a year and a half, helped transform GoldBod from a policy concept into a fully functioning state institution.
“Mr Gyamfi has led the transformation of GoldBod from a policy idea into a fully functioning state institution,” they stated.
They said the institution had established its legislative, administrative and operational foundations within a relatively short period, including the constitution of its Board and management, licensing and traceability regimes, assay systems and export structures.
According to them, GoldBod has also established governance and accountability mechanisms, including audited annual accounts prepared by the Auditor-General and published for public scrutiny.
“All these were done within a timeframe that few state institutions in our history have matched,” the statement said.
Chairmen tout GoldBod’s economic impact
The NDC Regional Chairmen further argued that GoldBod’s operations had contributed to efforts to stabilise Ghana’s economy by improving the regulation and transparency of the country’s gold trade.
They said gold that previously left the country through smuggling and opaque channels was now increasingly being traded, aggregated and exported through a regulated state mechanism.
“Gold that once leaked out of this country through smuggling and opaque channels is now being traded, aggregated and exported through a transparent state mechanism,” they said.
The Chairmen claimed that foreign exchange generated through GoldBod’s operations had supported the stability of the cedi, strengthened Ghana’s reserves and boosted confidence in the market.
They also said mining communities in several parts of the country were benefiting from what they described as greater fairness and transparency in the gold trade.
“These are not partisan claims; they are performance indicators that Ghanaians experience every day,” the statement declared.
NDC accuses NPP of attacking GoldBod’s performance
The sixteen Regional Chairmen expressed concern over what they described as a coordinated campaign by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its Minority in Parliament against Mr Gyamfi and GoldBod.
While acknowledging the importance of parliamentary oversight, they said legitimate scrutiny should not be confused with what they described as politically motivated attacks.
“Genuine parliamentary scrutiny is welcome. It is the reason GoldBod has answered every question with published, audited figures,” they said.
They added: “What we are witnessing is not scrutiny. It is an attempt to smear a young, hardworking public officer and to discredit an institution whose success exposes the failure of the programmes the NPP ran before it.”
The Chairmen accused some members of the NPP of being uncomfortable with what they described as positive economic indicators under the current administration.
“We can only conclude that some in the NPP are uncomfortable that the economy is doing well without them,” they stated.
They consequently condemned what they described as attacks on GoldBod and its CEO.
Call on Sammy Gyamfi to remain focused
The Regional Chairmen also urged Mr Sammy Gyamfi not to be distracted by the controversy surrounding GoldBod.
“To Mr Sammy Gyamfi, we say: remain focused,” they stated.
“Do not be distracted by those who would rather see the institution fail than see Ghana succeed.”
They encouraged the CEO to continue implementing GoldBod’s strategic agenda, including the expansion of licensed gold aggregation, refining and value addition, traceability and responsible-sourcing programmes.
They also urged GoldBod to pursue its ambition of positioning Ghana as a major gold-trading hub for the sub-region.
GoldBod contrasted with Agyapa
The statement also contrasted GoldBod with the controversial Agyapa Royalties arrangement pursued under the previous NPP administration.
The Regional Chairmen argued that the Agyapa arrangement would have placed a substantial share of Ghana’s future gold royalties in an offshore special-purpose vehicle in exchange for an upfront payment.
They said the proposal attracted opposition from civil society and other stakeholders.
“Ghanaians should not forget what the alternative looked like,” the statement said.
The Chairmen argued that GoldBod represented a fundamentally different approach to Ghana’s gold resources.
“GoldBod is the opposite of Agyapa: it keeps our gold, its value and its governance here in Ghana, under Ghanaian law and Ghanaian scrutiny,” they stated.
Regional Chairmen reaffirm confidence
The sixteen Regional Chairmen concluded by reaffirming their confidence in Mr Gyamfi and the leadership of GoldBod.
“The sixteen Regional Chairmen reaffirm our full confidence in Mr Sammy Gyamfi and in the Board and management of GoldBod,” they said.
They called on NDC members, supporters and what they described as well-meaning Ghanaians to disregard what they termed a campaign of misinformation and support GoldBod’s work.
The statement was signed by the sixteen Regional Chairmen, with Comrade Nana Dr. Richard Asiedu, Central Regional Chairman, serving as Secretary to the Caucus.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
