Cape Coast: The Central Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Takyi-Mensah, has thrown the party’s weight behind the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, describing his calls for accountability over the reported financial implications of Ghana’s domestic gold purchase programme as legitimate and necessary.
At a press conference at the NPP’s Central Regional office in Cape Coast last Thursday, Mr Takyi-Mensah said the Minority Leader was being subjected to attacks for raising questions about what he described as a reported $1.7 billion, or approximately GH¢22 billion, arising from transactions under the domestic gold purchase programme.
He said the central issue was not the personality of Mr Afenyo-Markin or whether every aspect of his interpretation of the transactions was correct, but rather the need for the relevant institutions to provide clarity on the reported figures and the financial implications of the programme.
“The issue is about accountability,” Mr Takyi-Mensah said.
“Honourable Afenyo-Markin asked questions and demanded answers from the CEO of GoldBod, and that was not a crime, but rather the performance of his parliamentary duty.”
Demand for explanation
Mr Takyi-Mensah said the party wanted the relevant institutions to clearly explain the nature of the reported amount and establish whether it constituted an actual loss, an accounting adjustment or arose from other transactions involving the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Bank of Ghana.
He said if the reported figure was inaccurate, the institutions concerned should provide documentary evidence to demonstrate this and explain how the transactions were recorded.
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“Let the responsible institution produce a document and demonstrate conclusively why it is wrong, if it is not correct,” he said.
He added that the public deserved answers regarding the transactions, including how the reported amount arose and which institutions or decisions were responsible.
The NPP Regional Secretary said concerns about the matter had entered the public domain beyond statements made by the Minority Leader, citing discussions surrounding an International Monetary Fund report and comments by economists on the domestic gold purchase programme.
Support for Minority Leader
Mr Takyi-Mensah accused the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, of responding to the controversy with personal attacks instead of addressing what he described as the substantive issues raised by Mr Afenyo-Markin.
He said the Central Regional branch of the NPP would not allow its Minority Leader to be intimidated or personally attacked for demanding accountability.
“We stand today in defence of our national parliamentary leader,” he said, adding that Mr Afenyo-Markin was not alone in demanding answers over the matter.
According to him, the NPP would continue to support the Minority Caucus in Parliament to scrutinise government actions and raise issues affecting the management of public resources.
He said Ghanaians should not be intimidated or coerced into silence when demanding accountability from public institutions.
“We are going to be resolute in our demands for answers,” Mr Takyi-Mensah said, stressing that public resources must be properly accounted for.
Wider implications
Mr Takyi-Mensah argued that if the reported amount represented an actual loss to the state, the money could have been channelled into other priority areas, including agriculture, employment, health and education.
He, however, maintained that the party was primarily demanding a clear and transparent explanation of the figures and transactions associated with the domestic gold purchase programme.
The press conference was attended by the Central Regional Chairman of the NPP, Dr Joseph Kobina Esibu, other regional executives, party members and former government appointees.
The controversy over the reported financial implications of the domestic gold purchase programme has generated public debate, with differing interpretations of whether the amounts being discussed constitute actual losses or accounting and valuation effects.
Mr Takyi-Mensah said the NPP in the Central Region would continue to support Mr Afenyo-Markin and the Minority Caucus in their efforts to demand accountability on the matter.
Source: Dominic Kofi Konadu/ATLFMNEWS
