Eric Edem Agbana has urged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stand firmly behind Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as “one of the greatest assets we have as a party. We must protect him. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) understands the impact of his work, and that is why they attack him daily with fabricated lies. Our responsibility is to stand by him. He is a precious jewel,” he shared in a Facebook post.
The call comes at a time when the Minority caucus has raised concerns over potential losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars at GoldBod, headed by Sammy Gyamfi as Chief Executive Officer.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, December 29, Minority representative Kojo Oppong Nkrumah cautioned that arrangements at the center of the controversy could be enabling the purchase of illegally mined gold. “There are environmental issues that have to be dealt with,” Oppong Nkrumah said, highlighting the urgency of addressing the link between state funds and unlawful mining activities.
According to him, “As of now, we have every reason to believe that state money is being used to buy galamsey gold.” The Minority caucus is calling for immediate regulatory measures to safeguard forest reserves and enhance monitoring systems. “One of the things we’ll be asking for is a suspension of permits in forest reserves and the introduction of serious measures on traceability,” Oppong Nkrumah explained.
He further noted that lapses in transparency within the gold framework have opened the door for abuse and environmental harm, emphasizing that urgent intervention is required to protect public resources and prevent further ecological damage.
In 2025, Gyamfi was appointed the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, the authority that buys, sells, exports, weighs, grades, assays and values precious minerals in Ghana. He is the current National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress.
Agbana’s defense of Gyamfi mirrors his earlier support during a controversy in May 2025. Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, Agbana recounted his close working relationship with Gyamfi, stating, “Sammy is one of the most generous people I know. Even with the little he has, he shares. But more importantly, he’s someone who guards his integrity fiercely”.
The International Monetary Fund disclosed in its fifth review report that operational costs from GoldBod alongside trading shortfalls drove losses under the Gold for Reserves programme to $214 million within the first nine months of 2025. However, GoldBod has strongly rejected these claims, with Gyamfi maintaining that the Board has not recorded any losses and is instead on track to post a surplus of at least GH¢600 million by the end of the 2025 financial year.
The controversy has sparked intense debate about GoldBod’s operations, transparency, and accountability, with calls from various quarters for parliamentary investigations and greater public disclosure of the Board’s financial activities.
