By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Sept. 1, GNA – Mr Makafui Kofi Woanyah, Volta Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on public officials to respect citizens’ right to demand accountability, saying no presidential appointee had servants or subjects.
“No appointee of the President has any servant. No appointee has any subject. Every Ghanaian who asks a question about how our gold is being managed is not a servant of Sammy Gyamfi. He is a citizen exercising his rights,” he said.
Addressing a press conference in Ho on Tuesday, Mr Woanyah said public officials were accountable to the Ghanaian people and must therefore be prepared to respond to legitimate questions concerning the management of the country’s resources.
He expressed concern about what he described as the growing comfort of some public officials in the face of serious financial concerns, saying a reported $1.7 billion loss in gold-related transactions should be sufficient to trigger urgent demands for answers.
He questioned what scale of financial loss would finally compel those responsible to take the concerns of Ghanaians seriously.
Mr Woanyah said the matter had a particular significance for the Volta Region because of what he described as attacks on Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu
He described Mr Afenyo-Markin as a son of the Volta Region and noted that his father, Mr Moses Apetorgbor Afenyo-Kwofie, continued to reside at Tsiame in the Keta Municipality.
He said the Minority Leader derived the name “Afenyo” from his father and maintained strong ties with Tsiame and the wider Anlo area.
According to Mr Woanyah, Mr Afenyo-Markin was recently warmly received by residents of Tsiame, who organised drumming and dancing to welcome him to the community.
He therefore condemned, what he described as insults directed at Mr Afenyo-Markin by Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), saying such conduct was disrespectful to a son of Tsiame, Anlo and the Volta Region.
Mr Woanyah said political differences should not become a basis for personal attacks, particularly when public officials were expected to respond to questions concerning the management of public resources.
He reiterated the NPP’s support for calls for accountability and said citizens, regardless of their political affiliation, had the right to demand transparency from public officials.
He said the NPP in the Volta Region would continue to defend the rights of citizens and public representatives to ask questions on issues of national interest without intimidation or disrespect.
GNA
Edited By: Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade