Afenyo-Markin leads NPP MPs to Christian Council over US$1.7 billion GoldBod losses, galamsey and Baffour Awuah's arrest

The Minority in Parliament has taken its concerns about the economy, illegal mining and the treatment of opposition figures to the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), urging the Council to use its moral authority on issues it says go beyond party politics.

Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin led a delegation of the caucus to meet the Council's leadership in Accra on Tuesday. According to a statement he issued after the meeting, the engagement followed an invitation from the Council dated 3 September 2026. The invitation came amid public debate over the financial performance and governance of GoldBod.

The statement said the Council wanted to understand the Minority's position and explore how transparency and accountability could be secured while protecting what it described as an important national economic asset.

GoldBod losses
Mr Afenyo-Markin said he restated the Minority's concerns about the approximately US$1.7 billion in reported losses linked to the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme. He pointed to the implications for the Bank of Ghana's balance sheet and a possible recapitalisation burden on taxpayers.

The Minority called for transparent and independent reconciliation of the figures and the underlying transactions.

Galamsey and the economy
The Minority Leader also raised the continuing destruction of rivers, forests and farmlands by illegal mining, or galamsey. He argued that the problem can no longer be treated as only a mining or environmental issue. He said it affects public health, water and food security, livelihoods and the State's ability to enforce its laws.

He urged the Council to keep backing calls for decisive and even-handed action, particularly against financiers, politically connected interests and organised networks behind illegal mining.

On the economy, he highlighted continuing hardship in households and youth unemployment in particular. He said economic recovery must translate into jobs and better living conditions, and warned that persistent exclusion of young people threatens social cohesion and national stability.

Baffour Awuah and "selective" prosecution

The Minority expressed what it called grave concern about the selective use of investigative and prosecutorial power against opposition figures.

Mr Afenyo-Markin referred specifically to the recent attempted arrest of the MP for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, within the premises of the High Court in Accra. The Minority maintains the attempt did not respect constitutional and parliamentary procedures. He also questioned the circumstances of a subsequent warrant obtained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). He further questioned the MP's prolonged detention after he voluntarily presented himself to the Office.

"We seek no immunity from lawful investigation and will never defend impunity," the statement said. It added that the Minority would remain peaceful and law-abiding but would not retreat from holding the Government accountable.

Constitutional reform and term limits
On constitutional reform, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the NPP supports necessary reforms. However, he said it has serious reservations about the Government's approach. Those reservations include the scale of the proposed amendments and what he called a substantial departure from the recommendations of the Government's own Constitution Review Committee.

The two sides also discussed pending Supreme Court proceedings on presidential term limits. The Minority Leader said that while respecting the Court's independence and avoiding prejudging the cases, he stressed the importance of keeping effective constitutional limits on executive power.

National Cathedral
On the National Cathedral, the Minority noted the Government's renewed engagement with a project the NDC strongly criticised while in opposition. It encouraged the Council to help explore a transparent, Christian-led private financing model that would not add construction costs to taxpayers.

Other issues discussed included protecting children from social media harms, regulating artificial intelligence, narcotics trafficking, religious freedom and mission schools, and long-term national development planning.

Mr Afenyo-Markin also briefed the Council on the NPP's recent National Delegates Conference. He asked for prayers for the party's newly elected national officers and for all leaders, regardless of political affiliation.

Council's response
According to the statement, the Council commended the Minority for pursuing its constitutional mandate despite its numbers in Parliament. The Council said the meeting was part of its wider engagement with institutional stakeholders. It said the issues raised would be referred, as appropriate, to relevant bodies within its Executive Council.

The Council delegation was chaired by Bishop Dr Lawson Adjei, a former Vice-Chairman and Executive Member of the CCG. He was joined by Acting General Secretary Dr Joyce Lako Steiner and other officials.

The Minority delegation included Second Deputy Minority Whip Jerry Ahmed Shaib, MP for Weija-Gbawe, and MPs Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth (Okere), Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Suhum), Emmanuel Tobbin (Anyaa-Sowutuom), Kennedy Osei Nyarko (Akim Swedru), Fred Kyei Asamoah (Offinso North), Francis Kwabena Owusu-Akyaw (Juaben) and Alexander Akwasi Acquah (Akim Oda). Former Yendi MP Farouk Aliu Mahama was also part of the delegation.