National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia has responded to claims by former Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin that Ghana’s GoldBod, led by Sammy Gyamfi, is running at a loss.
Speaking in a one-on-one interview on Onua TV on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Asiedu Nketia challenged the characterization of GoldBod’s financial position, arguing that the institution’s operations should not be assessed simply by looking at reported losses without considering the broader objectives and circumstances surrounding its establishment.
His response comes amid growing political debate over the financial performance of the Ghana Gold Board, popularly known as GoldBod, and the management of the country’s gold resources.
Afenyo-Markin had criticised the operations of GoldBod and claimed that the institution was making losses under the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.
The claim has subsequently triggered a political debate, with supporters and critics of the government offering different interpretations of GoldBod’s financial performance.
However, Asiedu Nketia argued that describing GoldBod as deliberately running at a loss oversimplifies the situation.
According to him, the financial position of the institution must be understood within the context of its mandate and the role it has been tasked to play in Ghana’s gold economy.
He suggested that GoldBod’s activities should not be judged solely through the conventional lens of profit and loss, particularly when the institution is pursuing broader economic objectives.
The NDC chairman’s comments effectively challenge the narrative that any reported financial loss automatically represents poor management or failure on the part of GoldBod.
GoldBod has increasingly become a major component of Ghana’s economic policy, particularly in the government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s management of gold and foreign exchange.
The institution has been tasked with playing a central role in the formalisation of Ghana’s gold trading sector while helping to maximise the economic benefits derived from the country’s gold resources.
Its operations have, however, attracted scrutiny from opposition politicians and other stakeholders who have demanded greater transparency regarding its finances and performance.
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The latest disagreement between Afenyo-Markin and Asiedu Nketia therefore reflects a broader political argument over how GoldBod’s success should be measured.
While critics focus on financial figures and alleged losses, government and NDC figures have maintained that the institution’s wider economic impact must also be taken into consideration.
As GoldBod’s Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi has become one of the key figures in Ghana’s gold-sector reforms.
His leadership has attracted both praise and criticism, particularly as GoldBod assumes a more prominent role in the country’s gold purchasing and trading system.
The latest comments by Asiedu Nketia could further intensify the political discussion surrounding Gyamfi’s management of the institution.
For the NDC chairman, however, the central issue is not simply whether GoldBod has recorded losses at a particular point in time, but whether the institution is fulfilling the strategic objectives for which it was established.
The debate is expected to continue as opposition lawmakers and government officials scrutinise GoldBod’s financial records, operational performance and contribution to Ghana’s economy.
For now, Asiedu Nketia’s response provides a strong political defence of GoldBod and Sammy Gyamfi, while keeping the focus firmly on the question of how the institution’s financial performance should be interpreted.