The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has vowed to continue defending the New Patriotic Party (NPP) despite criticism and insults directed at him over his stance on the reported losses incurred by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

His comments come amid tensions between the Minority and the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, over claims that the state gold-trading institution incurred losses of GH¢22 billion, equivalent to about US$1.7 billion, from its operations in 2025.

Mr Gyamfi, during the government’s Accountability Series, accused Mr Afenyo-Markin of pursuing a smear campaign against GoldBod rather than engaging in genuine public accountability.

However, speaking to Metro TV, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he was not concerned about the insults directed at him and would remain focused on his responsibilities as Minority Leader.

“If today you are insulting Afenyo-Markin, using unprintable words on my person, hiring social media people, people going to sit at studios of FM stations, TV stations, use vulgar language, the very thing that if you give them a schnapp, a Bible, a Quran, to swear whether it is true, they cannot. They are saying it for politics. I won’t question you. I won’t say anything. I won’t sue you,” he said.

He said members of his family had made sacrifices for the NPP and Ghana, adding that he was prepared to endure similar challenges in the course of his political duties.

“My stepfather fought for the party. My mom fought for the party. My daddy suffered for the party. And it’s my turn. I will fight for the party with a clear mind. And I will not shake,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin insisted that the Minority’s position on the reported GoldBod losses was based on facts and represented the truth.

“What we are telling the people of Ghana about these losses is the truth. Nothing more, nothing less,” he said.

He called on the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to acknowledge that policy failures contributed to the reported losses and engage the Minority on how to address the situation.

“We expect the NDC to be reasonable and eat humble pie, and admit that, indeed, policy failures resulted in this. So that perhaps we can look at the way forward,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin also said he would continue performing his duties despite the personal attacks, stressing that political disagreements should not undermine mutual respect.

“I’m Minority Leader. I will do my work. But in so doing, I have due regard for your office,” he said.

He said his approach to politics was guided by respect for institutions, friendship and what he described as a code of brotherhood.

According to him, previous Minority Leaders, including J.H. Mensah and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, faced similar difficulties while serving in opposition.

He also acknowledged the challenges of being a Minority Leader, saying the position could sometimes be lonely because of the heavy responsibilities.

“Minority Leader is not an easy job; sometimes you can be lonely. When everything is going round, round, round, you have to do the heavy lifting,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin vowed to continue pursuing the issue despite the attacks against him.

“To be attacked, I will stay there, deal with the issues, and pursue it. However lonely I may become, I am doing this for the party, and the right thing will be done,” he said.