There are moments in public life when silence is not wisdom. It becomes a burden.
The latest confrontation between the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has reached precisely that moment.
This is no longer merely another episode in Ghana’s increasingly aggressive political discourse.
It has moved beyond arguments over the economy, GoldBod, the Bank of Ghana or the reported US$1.7 billion losses associated with the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
It has become a question of reputation, public trust and the dignity of high political office.
Sammy Gyamfi has described Afenyo Markin as an “extortionist” and has challenged him to sue if he believes the allegation is false.
He has gone further, suggesting that the Minority Leader’s failure to sue amounts to an inability to refute the accusation.
That challenge should not be ignored. Afenyo Markin must either take the matter to court and demand that Sammy Gyamfi prove the allegation, or seriously consider whether he can continue occupying the office of Minority Leader while allowing such a grave allegation to hang over his head.
This is not about political pride. It is about the office. The Minority Leader is not just another politician.
Alexander Afenyo Markin is currently the Minority Leader of Ghana’s Ninth Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu.
The Minority Leader is one of the most consequential parliamentary offices in the Republic.
He is the principal political voice of the opposition in Parliament.
He leads the parliamentary force whose constitutional and democratic responsibility includes scrutinizing government, challenging executive decisions and demanding accountability.
That office therefore carries a reputation larger than the individual who occupies it. When the person sitting in that chair is publicly labelled an “extortionist”, the appropriate response cannot simply be another press conference, another radio interview or another political insult.
There must be clarity. If the allegation is false, prove it false. If it is true, the Ghanaian public deserves to know the truth.
And if it cannot be established either way, then the proper place to settle the matter is not the microphone. It is the court. This is where Afenyo Markin must draw the line
Sammy Gyamfi has not merely criticized Afenyo Markin’s politics. Political criticism is normal.
A politician can be called incompetent, arrogant, ineffective, hypocritical or even politically misguided.
Those are harsh political judgments, and politicians must develop thick skins.
But “extortionist” carries a different weight. It suggests conduct involving the improper extraction of money or benefit through pressure or coercion.
That is a serious accusation against anyone.
It becomes even more serious when directed at the Minority Leader of the Parliament of Ghana.
Mr Gyamfi has publicly challenged Afenyo Markin to sue him and substantiate the allegation.
So what exactly is stopping the Minority Leader? If Afenyo Markin believes the allegation is defamatory and completely without foundation, he should instruct his lawyers to act.
Not tomorrow. Not after another round of political interviews. Act.
Let Sammy Gyamfi enter court and prove that Afenyo Markin is an extortionist.
Let the evidence speak.
Let the documents speak. Let the witnesses speak. Let the law speak.
That would be far more powerful than ten political rallies and a hundred angry interviews. Parliament deserves better than political mudslinging.
There is another dimension to this matter that should concern every Ghanaian.
The fight began around allegations concerning GoldBod and losses reportedly exceeding US$1.7 billion under the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The IMF has indeed reported losses exceeding US$1.7 billion in connection with the programme.
However, that does not automatically establish that GoldBod alone caused the entire loss.
The institutional responsibilities and transaction structures require proper examination.
GoldBod, for its part, has pointed to its audited 2025 accounts and says the institution recorded an operational surplus of about GH¢907 million and an overall surplus of about GH¢5.4 billion.
The Information Services Department has also reported GoldBod’s position that the Auditor-General’s audit found no adverse findings against the institution.
These are legitimate issues for public debate. The Minority has every right to ask questions. GoldBod has every right to defend its record.
Its CEO has every right to challenge allegations against the institution.
But there is a line between robust accountability and personal accusation.
Once that line is crossed, the person accused must decide whether to allow the accusation to define him or to confront it decisively.
Afenyo Markin cannot demand accountability from government while avoiding accountability for himself. This is the uncomfortable part.
Afenyo Markin has built much of his political identity around holding government accountable.
He has repeatedly insisted that the Minority will scrutinise government policies and programmes and “hold the Government’s feet to the fire.”
That principle must apply to everyone, including himself.
The standard cannot be: “Government must answer difficult questions, but I don’t have to answer difficult allegations.” That would be politically convenient but morally inconsistent.
If the Minority Leader believes GoldBod has mishandled public resources, he must demand evidence and accountability.
If GoldBod’s CEO believes the Minority Leader is an extortionist, then he too must be prepared to provide evidence.
Nobody should be protected because of political affiliation. Nobody should be condemned because of political affiliation. That is how a democracy works.
Afenyo-Markin is not a private citizen engaging in an argument at a drinking spot. He is the Minority Leader of Parliament.
The GoldBod CEO is not merely a private commentator either. GoldBod describes itself as Ghana’s legally authourised body responsible for licensing and undertaking the purchase, assay, refining and export of gold and other precious minerals.
Both men therefore occupy positions that require discipline.
The country is watching.And Ghana does not need its most senior political actors turning public institutions into arenas for personal warfare.
The Minority Leader’s office was previously occupied by figures such as J.H. Mensah, Papa Owusu-Ankomah and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. Whether one agrees with their politics or not, the office carried considerable institutional weight.
That reputation must be protected.
Indeed, Sammy Gyamfi himself has invoked the reputations of former Minority Leaders while attacking Afenyo-Markin.
But that should make the present occupant even more determined to defend the integrity of the office.
So, Afenyo-Markin, take the challenge. This is where political calculations should end.
Afenyo Markin should not merely respond that he has been insulted. He should not spend another week trading accusations with the GoldBod CEO.
He should not allow the matter to disappear beneath the next political controversy.
He has two options.
Sue. Or, if he believes he cannot or will not take legal action to clear his name, then he should seriously consider whether remaining Minority Leader under the shadow of such an allegation is sustainable.
Because the Ghanaian public cannot have it both ways.
You cannot occupy one of the highest political offices in the country, accuse others of wrongdoing and demand accountability from public institutions while allowing a serious allegation against your own character to remain unresolved.
The Minority Leader must understand that the battle is no longer simply Afenyo-Markin versus Sammy Gyamfi.
It is about whether public office in Ghana still carries standards. And the NPP must also grow a spine.
The New Patriotic Party cannot simply defend its Minority Leader through press statements and social media posts.
If Afenyo Markin believes the allegation is false, the party should encourage him to clear his name through the appropriate legal process.
And if he refuses to sue, the NPP must ask a difficult question: Can someone credibly lead the parliamentary opposition while carrying an unresolved allegation of extortion against him?
The party should not turn this into another partisan shouting match. It should make the issue about institutional credibility.
If Afenyo Markin sues, the NPP should stand behind due process and allow the courts to determine the matter.
If he refuses to sue and cannot provide a convincing public explanation for his decision, then the NPP must have the courage to consider whether another person should lead its parliamentary caucus.
That would not be an admission of guilt. It would be an acknowledgement that the reputation of the office is bigger than the reputation of the individual. And Sammy Gyamfi must also understand the burden of his office.
This argument cannot be one-sided. The GoldBod CEO has every right to defend the institution he leads.
But occupying the CEO’s chair also comes with responsibilities. GoldBod itself presents its mission as transforming Ghana’s gold industry, strengthening national value retention and building a world-class trading organisation.
That requires credibility.
When the CEO of such a strategically important national institution makes a serious allegation against the Minority Leader, he should be prepared to defend that allegation with the same confidence with which he made it.
If he has evidence, produce it. If he has documents, let them be examined. If he has facts, let the court test them.
That is how mature democracies operate. Ghana needs less political theatre and more consequences.
For too long, Ghanaian politics has developed an unfortunate habit. Politicians make explosive allegations on television.
Public officials respond with insults. Supporters flood social media. The matter trends for three days. Then everyone moves on. The allegation remains. The reputation remains damaged. And nobody is held responsible.
We cannot continue like this.
If an allegation is serious enough to make publicly, it should be serious enough to defend legally. If an accusation is false, the victim should have the courage to challenge it.
If it is true, the person making it should have the courage to prove it. That is the standard Ghana deserves.
So, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, this is your moment. Do not defend the title of Minority Leader with speeches. Defend the integrity of the office with action.
Sue Sammy Gyamfi and make him prove that you are an extortionist. And if you will not, then perhaps the NPP must ask whether you should continue occupying the office.
Because at this level of public leadership, silence is not neutrality. Sometimes, silence becomes an unanswered question.
And the Minority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament should not allow an accusation of this magnitude to become his unanswered question.
Clear your name. Clear the office. Or clear the way.
