By Michael Foli Jackidy, GNA
Ho (V/R), Sept. 2, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Volta Regional Branch has called for a full parliamentary investigation into the reported $1.7 billion loss in gold-related transactions, saying Ghanaians deserved transparency and accountability in the management of the country’s gold resources.
Mr Makafui Kofi Woanyah, Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, also called on President John Dramani Mahama to take action against Mr Sammy Gyamfi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), over what he alleged was a breach of the government’s Code of Ethics.
Addressing a press conference in Ho on Tuesday, Mr Woanyah said the Code of Conduct would have little meaning if breaches did not attract appropriate sanctions.
He called for the removal of Mr Gyamfi from office or, at the minimum, a public reprimand, arguing that public officials must be held accountable for their conduct.
Mr Woanyah also raised questions about what he described as an “unexplained lifestyle” of Mr Gyamfi, referring to a widely circulated video in which the GoldBod Chief Executive was seen handling dollar notes.
He said the circumstances surrounding the money required a proper explanation, adding that the Presidency’s response, which he described as a caution following an apology, was insufficient.
According to him, the reported $1.7 billion loss in gold-related transactions made transparency and accountability even more urgent.
Mr Woanyah said Ghanaians were facing a “double whammy” of environmental degradation caused by illegal mining and concerns over the management of the country’s gold resources.
He said illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, continued to threaten rivers, forests and farmlands despite government assurances that measures were being implemented to tackle the menace.
He argued that gold extracted through illegal mining eventually entered the formal gold-trading system, including through GoldBod, and therefore the country must ensure that it derived the full economic benefit from its natural resources.
Mr Woanyah said the NPP fully supported the Parliamentary Minority’s call for a comprehensive investigation into the reported $1.7 billion loss.
“Ghanaians deserve the truth, in full, under proper scrutiny, with every document on the table,” he said.
He urged the Minority to pursue the matter until all relevant facts were established and called on the Majority to support the investigation in the national interest.
Mr Woanyah said the reported loss was not a matter for one political party because the resources involved belonged to the Ghanaian people.
Mr Woanyah said the NPP Volta Regional Branch would continue to demand accountability on the management of Ghana’s gold resources, environmental protection and the conduct of public officials.
He said the party would also support Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin and the Parliamentary Minority in their efforts to establish the facts surrounding the reported financial loss.
“We stand for every farmer whose water may soon run brown, every fisherman whose nets may soon come up empty, every Ghanaian mother who has buried a child in an abandoned pit, and every citizen whose resources may be used to clean up an environmental mess,” he said.
Mr Woanyah challenged the government to provide answers on the reported $1.7 billion loss and ensure that anyone found culpable through a proper investigation was held accountable.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah