Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has vowed to remain resolute in defending the New Patriotic Party (NPP) despite mounting criticism and personal attacks over his position on the reported losses incurred by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
His comments follow an escalating dispute between the Minority and GoldBod Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, over claims that the state-owned gold-trading institution recorded losses of about GH¢22 billion, equivalent to approximately US$1.7 billion, from its operations in 2025.
Mr Gyamfi, speaking during the government’s Accountability Series, accused the Minority Leader of engaging in what he described as a smear campaign against GoldBod instead of pursuing genuine public accountability.
However, speaking to Metro TV, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he would not be distracted by the criticism and insults directed at him.
He said he was prepared to endure attacks as part of his responsibility to the NPP and would not resort to litigation against those criticising him.
“If today you are insulting Afenyo-Markin, using unprintable words on my person, hiring social media people, people going to sit at studios of FM stations, TV stations, use vulgar language, the very thing that if you give them a schnapp, a Bible, a Quran, to swear whether it is true, they cannot. They are saying it for politics. I won’t question you. I won’t say anything. I won’t sue you,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said his family had made significant sacrifices for the NPP and Ghana, and he was prepared to make similar sacrifices in the course of his political career.
“My stepfather fought for the party. My mom fought for the party. My daddy suffered for the party. And it’s my turn. I will fight for the party with a clear mind. And I will not shake,” he said.
The Minority Leader maintained that the concerns raised by the Minority regarding GoldBod’s reported losses were based on facts and intended to serve the public interest.
“What we are telling the people of Ghana about these losses is the truth. Nothing more, nothing less,” he said.
He urged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to acknowledge what he described as policy failures that contributed to the reported losses and work with the Minority to find a way forward.
“We expect the NDC to be reasonable and eat humble pie, and admit that, indeed, policy failures resulted in this. So that perhaps we can look at the way forward,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also stressed that the political disagreements would not prevent him from respecting the offices and institutions of state.
“I’m Minority Leader. I will do my work. But in so doing, I have due regard for your office,” he said.
He said his approach to politics was guided by respect for institutions, personal relationships and what he described as a code of brotherhood.
The Effutu MP further noted that previous Minority Leaders, including J.H. Mensah and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, had faced significant challenges while leading the opposition in Parliament.
According to him, the position of Minority Leader can sometimes be isolating because of the weight of responsibility that comes with the office.
“Minority Leader is not an easy job; sometimes you can be lonely. When everything is going round, round, round, you have to do the heavy lifting,” he said.
Despite the criticism, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he would not abandon the GoldBod issue and would continue to demand answers.
“To be attacked, I will stay there, deal with the issues, and pursue it. However lonely I may become, I am doing this for the party, and the right thing will be done,” he said.
