Apanga urges politicians to stop personalising institutional issues

By Hubeyidatu Mumuni 

Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gaming Commission of Ghana, Lamtiig A. Apanga, has defended the operations of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), dismissing attempts to personalise economic and institutional matters.

Speaking on Channel 1 TV, Apanga urged political actors and commentators to focus on the performance and policies of state institutions rather than individuals associated with them.

He said attempts to link institutional losses to alleged criminal conduct were misplaced, particularly when such losses could result from legitimate operational and market-related activities.

“If in all issues, we focus on the issues and not the persons behind the figures, and not the persons behind the institutions, nobody would find it as a personalized matter,” he said.

Responding to recent criticisms from members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Apanga said the politicisation of institutional issues often arose from the manner in which critics framed their arguments.

He argued that references to individuals and their personal circumstances, including bail conditions, shifted attention away from the substantive issues under discussion.

“He is a lawyer… to go to the extent that a loss on the books of a particular institution can suggest criminal actions… it’s very disingenuous, to say the least,” Apanga stated.

Apanga also defended the establishment of GoldBod, saying the institution was created to bring greater order to Ghana’s gold trade and contribute to economic stability.

“The whole mischief out there is to put certain narratives against GoldBod,” he said, adding that the government had promised to introduce the institution to “ensure that there’s some sanity in gold trade in Ghana.”

On concerns over financial losses recorded by GoldBod, Apanga explained that the losses were linked to operational and market-related factors arising from agreements under the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.

“Mind you, the losses we are talking about are fair, good losses. The relationship between GoldBod and Bank of Ghana is born out of an agreement,” he said.

According to Apanga, the losses included those arising from exchange-rate movements and service charges, rather than evidence of mismanagement or criminal activity.

He further assured the public of GoldBod’s commitment to transparency, noting that the institution voluntarily publishes its annual reports on its official website as part of efforts to comply with reporting requirements.