Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to support illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, despite earlier promises to end the practice.
He made the claim during an address to members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) over the weekend.
The engagement formed part of the New Patriotic Party’s outreach to students and young people ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Afenyo-Markin said the NDC has failed to meet several promises it made before the 2024 elections.
He argued that the government has instead introduced policies that contradict its commitments, especially in the fight against illegal mining.
He also criticised the government’s performance in key sectors, including job creation, economic management, women’s empowerment, and environmental protection.
“They [the NDC] promised women banking, they have failed. They promised to end galamsey, they have rather established GoldBod and they are using GoldBod to promote galamsey and that is not the country we want.”
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) serves as the sole state institution responsible for buying, selling, weighing, grading, assaying, valuing, and exporting gold and other precious minerals.
The government created it to formalise the gold trading sector, improve transparency, boost foreign exchange earnings, and strengthen oversight of mineral resources.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, GoldBod purchased 135.843 metric tonnes of gold between January 2025 and May 2026. The transactions generated over $10 billion in revenue for the country.
