Minority Leader in Parliament and MP for Effutu, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has dismissed claims that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus is targeting Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi out of hatred.

His comments follow claims by Sammy Gyamfi that the Minority’s concerns about alleged losses incurred by GoldBod were motivated by hostility towards him and his work.

However, the lawmaker said the Minority’s scrutiny of GoldBod’s operations is aimed at ensuring that the state-owned institution operates transparently and in the best interest of the country.

Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme on Monday, August 10, Osahen Afenyo-Markin urged the GoldBod CEO to treat the Minority’s concerns as constructive criticism rather than personal attacks.

“Sammy, nobody hates you. I don’t hate you. We want the best for you. Some of the people you think are your friends today, that you deploy to attack us merely for questioning certain actions at GoldBod may not be there for you tomorrow,” he said.

The Minority Leader said Sammy Gyamfi, having been a vocal critic of previous governments while in opposition, should be willing to tolerate scrutiny and criticism of his current role.

He said some of the concerns raised by the Minority were based on issues contained in reports by credible institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Osahen Afenyo-Markin stressed that the Minority is not interested in attacking Gyamfi personally but is rather focused on what it considered excesses in GoldBod’s operations.

“We are not after your person. We are after the excesses in the activities at your institution. So please don’t take it personal. Let’s work together. Let’s understand the issues. When we raise them, take notes,” he said.

He also accused some members and supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of responding to criticism with personal attacks and social media campaigns.

According to him, such responses undermine constructive public discussion and could ultimately hurt those in government when issues raised today become problems in the future.