There is no end in sight for the Ghana Gold Board’s (GoldBod) GH¢22 billion loss saga. The commentaries, twists and turns continue to show up about this political sore on the image of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Subtle engagement of PR managers have been noticed, but given the weight of the loss and the holier than thou personality in the eye of the storm, their efforts are not registering visible dividends.
The Ghanaian sense of humour could not have been more noticeable as the fallouts of the saga play out on the political ambience.
Trending now is a musical composition about the loss, with expectedly Sammy Gyamfi at the centre. The composition is infectious, especially for lovers of Salsa, resisting a few steps is difficult.
A couple of days ago, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), who are of course having a field day with the subject, held a press conference demanding as it were a probe into the saga.
We cannot distance ourselves from this demand given the whopping amount of money involved and the fact that such a probe is the only way to unravel the entanglement.
While we would want the subject to be put to rest so other matters of equal importance could be tackled, some would want it to persist because it has proven to be a goldmine being exploited by these mercenary PR consultants and media persons.
If there is a subject which is causing nightmares to the GoldBod CEO and his mother political party, the NDC, it is this.
Those who demand equity must come with clean hands.
The opposition NPP is piling the heat on the GoldBod CEO and the NDC for dual reasons; to protect the national kitty and to pay him in his own coin.
In opposition, the NDC led by this gentleman embarked upon a campaign of calumny to wrestle power from their rival NPP. In the campaign, no holds were barred. Lies, character assassinations among others were employed lavishly.
The calculated smear campaign registered in many minds to the extent that the NDC were presented as angels with a clean bill of health.
With the then prevailing wind of free speech blowing in the country, they had a free hand to do as they pleased, a welcome impetus.
Here we are today and the heat on his backside is so hot that he is visibly on the defensive.
The issue about a so-called extortion is not what is on the plate. What caused the loss and whose role led to the situation?
Extortion allegation is but a useless attempt at dimming the fire of the GoldBod loss.
There was a time when a model of accumulation of gold was introduced whose dividend is the attractive fiscal position of the country today. It is regrettable that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s foresight which brought this country this far is being mismanaged, the latest in the series being the GoldBod loss.
Only a clean probe, not the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) type, will bring out the truth. Until then, we would believe the International Monetary Fund (IMF) report that there was indeed a loss, and Ghanaians deserve an explanation.