The Volta Regional Secretariat of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has backed calls for an independent probe into the alleged **$1.7 billion loss suffered by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod)**, describing the matter as too serious to be reduced to a political dispute.
The party said Ghanaians deserved to know how the alleged loss occurred and who was responsible, and urged Parliament to pursue the matter thoroughly and make its findings public.
Addressing a press conference in Ho on Tuesday, the Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Makafui Kofi Woanya, also called on Ghanaians to take a keen interest in the issue and demand accountability from those entrusted with managing the country’s resources.
He criticised what he described as insulting responses from the Acting Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, to questions raised by the Minority Leader about the alleged loss.
Mr Woanya said such responses failed to address the fundamental question of how the country could allegedly lose such a huge amount through gold trading in a single year.
“GoldBod is a public institution and must account to Ghanaians. The issue requires facts and accountability, not insults,” he said.
Mr Woanya also called on President John Dramani Mahama to remove Mr Gyamfi from office, alleging that his conduct was inconsistent with the government’s code of conduct for public officials.
He said the government had introduced a code of ethics to guide public officials and that officials of GoldBod were equally required to meet the expected standards of conduct.
Mr Woanya said the alleged $1.7 billion loss represented resources that could have made a significant difference in the lives of Ghanaians if properly utilised.
He said the money could have been invested in schools, roads, health facilities and potable water, particularly at a time when many communities continued to face serious development challenges.
The NPP chairman appealed to the Majority in Parliament to support the probe and allow the committee investigating the matter to work without political interference.
He said the alleged loss should be treated as a national tragedy rather than an NPP-NDC dispute.
“If you truly have the interest of this country at heart, and not merely the interest of protecting our own, back this probe honestly and fully and do not slow down the work of the committee,” he stressed.
Mr Woanya further questioned Mr Gyamfi’s financial standing prior to his appointment to GoldBod, claiming that he was not known to have operated any major business before entering public office.
He also referred to a video circulating on social media which allegedly showed Mr Gyamfi giving dollar notes to Nana Agradaa, and questioned whether the government had properly established the source of the money.
Mr Woanya said Ghanaians had a right to demand accountability from public officials, particularly where questions had been raised about their financial dealings.
He said the alleged financial loss was only one of the challenges confronting the country’s gold sector, pointing to the continued destruction caused by illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey”.
He said illegal mining had polluted rivers and other water bodies, destroyed vegetation and posed a growing threat to the Volta Lake, which supports the livelihoods of thousands of people.
He expressed concern that some tributaries of the lake were drying up, warning that the situation could have serious consequences for communities that depended on the lake for their livelihoods.
Mr Woanya therefore reiterated his call for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged $1.7 billion loss, saying the findings should be used to strengthen accountability and prevent similar occurrences in the management of the country’s gold resources.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, HO
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