Afenyo-Markin got the response he deserved – Sammy Gyamfi defends remarks

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has rejected accusations that he insulted Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin during a recent disagreement over claims concerning GoldBod’s finances.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 22, Mr Gyamfi said his comments were a direct response to what he considered serious and personal allegations made by the Minority Leader.

According to him, he has no problem with political criticism but believes Mr Afenyo-Markin crossed the line by making claims that, in his view, sought to damage his reputation and question his professional competence.

“I never insulted him. And nobody can show me one word that I used that was insulting,” Mr Gyamfi said.

He argued that his response should be understood within the context of the exchange, rather than being portrayed as an unprovoked personal attack.

Mr Gyamfi invoked Newton’s Third Law of Motion to explain his position, saying that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction.

“For every action, there is equal and opposite reaction,” he stated.

The GoldBod CEO said some of the claims made by Mr Afenyo-Markin concerning losses and financial obligations were not directed at GoldBod alone but appeared to personally associate him with alleged wrongdoing.

He therefore insisted that he had every right to respond strongly to what he described as unfounded accusations.

“Afenyo-Markin got the response he deserved,” Mr Gyamfi declared.

He further accused the Minority Leader of allowing political differences to become personal, arguing that some of his comments appeared to be motivated by malice rather than a genuine debate over public policy.

Mr Gyamfi said criticism based on facts and policy differences was part of democratic politics, but he would not remain silent when his personal integrity was questioned.

He also disputed any suggestion that he was responsible for financial losses referenced in the debate, insisting that the issues being discussed did not personally concern him.

“This issue is not about Sammy Gyamfi,” he said, accusing Mr Afenyo-Markin of attempting to link him to matters that he said were unrelated to his responsibilities.

In a further counterattack, Mr Gyamfi brought up what he described as the Minority Leader’s record while serving in leadership roles at state-owned utility companies.

He claimed that Mr Afenyo-Markin supervised cumulative losses of $3.3 billion at Ghana Water Limited between 2017 and 2024 and later oversaw losses of $8.2 billion at the Electricity Company of Ghana in 2024.

Mr Gyamfi stressed that his reference to those figures was not intended as an insult but was meant to demonstrate that public officials should be prepared to have their records examined when they criticise others.

“Just like he can criticise me, he's also not beyond reproach,” he said.

He maintained that public officials, including himself, should be subjected to scrutiny and that political leaders must be willing to answer questions about their own records.

Mr Gyamfi also questioned why he had been accused of using unusually harsh language in the latest exchange, pointing out that he had engaged in political debates and press conferences for years without routinely resorting to such language against his opponents.

He said there were deeper issues between himself and Mr Afenyo-Markin that the public may not be aware of, suggesting that the recent dispute was part of a broader political disagreement.

“There are many underlying issues between Afenyo-Markin and I that you don't know and those watching don't know,” he stated.

Despite the controversy, Mr Gyamfi said he remained comfortable with robust political debate and was not intimidated by criticism from his opponents.

“I’m a consummate democrat. I eat and drink debates because I’m not worried,” he said.

He maintained that his remarks should therefore be viewed as part of a political exchange triggered by what he considered personal attacks, rather than as an attempt to insult the Minority Leader.