The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region has called on President John Dramani Mahama to remove the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, from office over what it described as his disrespectful conduct towards the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

The Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, Makafui Kofi Woanyah, made the call at a press conference in Ho, where he criticised Mr Gyamfi for allegedly using a state platform to attack the Minority Leader instead of addressing concerns raised about the management of the country’s gold resources. 

“We are gathered here this morning to register our displeasure as a party in the Volta Region on Sammy Gyamfi’s conduct in public office and President Mahama’s failure to act,” he stated.

According to Mr Woanyah, no presidential appointee owned the country or had the authority to treat any Ghanaian as a servant simply because that person questioned his or her management of public resources. 

“No appointee owns Ghana. No appointee has the right to treat any Ghanaian as a servant because that Ghanaian has raised legitimate questions about the management of our national resources,” he said.

He stressed that citizens had a constitutional right to demand accountability from public officials, adding that public office holders must be prepared to answer questions concerning their management of state resources. 

“Ghanaians have the right to ask questions, and when questions are raised about the management of our resources, the appropriate response is to provide answers, not to attack the person asking the questions.”

The NPP Chairman accused Mr Gyamfi of violating the government’s Code of Conduct for appointees, arguing that such alleged misconduct should attract sanctions. 

“Breaching that Code of Ethics must have consequences. Otherwise, it is not a code at all. It is decoration,” he declared.

Mr Woanyah also insisted that President Mahama should take action to demonstrate that his appointees were subject to the same standards of accountability expected of other public officials. 

“We call on President Mahama to either remove Sammy Gyamfi from office or, at the very least, publicly reprimand him for this conduct,” he said.

He questioned whether President Mahama was firmly in control of his appointees if a government official could allegedly use a state platform to attack a lawmaker without facing serious disciplinary action. 

“If an appointee can use a state platform to attack a Minority Leader and nothing happens, then Ghanaians have every reason to ask whether the President is in charge of his appointees,” Mr Woanyah stated.

The NPP Chairman further reminded public officials to conduct themselves with decorum and respect for institutions and individuals, cautioning that failure to enforce standards could undermine public confidence in state institutions. 

“Public office is a trust. It comes with responsibility and accountability, and no one who occupies public office should think that the position gives him the licence to insult or attack citizens.”

Mr Woanyah emphasised that the NPP in the Volta Region would continue to support the Minority’s demand for greater accountability from the government, particularly on issues involving the management of the nation’s resources. 

“We will continue to demand accountability because the resources being managed by government officials belong to the people of Ghana, not to individual appointees,” he stressed.

He urged President Mahama to demonstrate that no presidential appointee was above the authority of the Presidency or the laws of Ghana, insisting that decisive action was needed to preserve confidence in public institutions. 

“The President must show that there is accountability in his government and that no appointee is above the law. Ghana belongs to all of us, and public office must always be exercised with humility, responsibility and respect."