UE/R: SOCO PROJECT FACILITATORS URGED TO WORK HARD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT – DCE NABDAM
By – Sadat Dabo
Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has broken his silence following days of what he describes as sustained personal attacks and defamatory allegations over his calls for accountability regarding the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday August 22, 2026, Afenyo-Markin dismissed claims questioning his motives as “entirely false” and insisted that his actions have been guided solely by his constitutional duty as Minority Leader to hold public institutions accountable
According to him, attempts to tarnish his reputation are aimed at diverting public attention from critical questions surrounding the reported GH¢22 billion loss linked to trading activities involving GoldBod and reflected in the books of the Bank of Ghana
He argued that public scrutiny should remain focused on the programme rather than on personal attacks against those demanding accountability.
Afenyo-Markin reaffirmed that the Minority Caucus will pursue all necessary parliamentary processes to secure a full inquiry into the reported losses. He cited the International Monetary Fund’s reported estimate of approximately US$1.7 billion in losses under the programme in 2025, stressing that regardless of which institution bears the loss on its balance sheet, it involves public funds and must be fully explained
The Minority Leader demanded full disclosure on the identities of the off-takers, the discounts applied to gold purchases, the authority under which those discounts were approved, and the fees earned from the transactions.
He also called for a detailed breakdown of the reported US$1.7 billion loss, including how much resulted from foreign exchange differentials, how much stemmed from GoldBod’s buying and selling prices, and the management decisions that led to the outcome
Afenyo-Markin maintained that these are legitimate questions that deserve answers and said the Minority will continue to place evidence and source documents in the public domain to enable Ghanaians to make informed judgments
On the personal allegations made against him, the Minority Leader announced that he will seek legal redress against those responsible for what he described as defamatory statements
Despite the controversy, he said his focus and that of the Minority Caucus remains firmly on ensuring transparency and accountability over the GoldBod programme and the management of public funds
