The Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Digital Centres, Dzifa Gunu, has claimed that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah failed to appear on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, January 3, 2026, despite being scheduled to participate in the discussion.

According to Dzifa Gunu, Oppong Nkrumah had been invited to the programme to defend his assertions and provide clarity on the issues raised in connection with the Gold-For-Reserves policy.

In a Facebook post on January 3, 2026, the acting CEO stated that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah did not honour the invitation despite prior arrangements for his participation.

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“Let it be known that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was invited to NewsFile to defend his claim against GoldBod; he chickened out,” Gunu wrote.

The programme was set to deliberate on the topic ‘Gold for Reserves: IMF alarmed over $214m loss,’ a subject that has generated public debate following claims attributed to Oppong Nkrumah against GoldBod.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has not publicly responded to the claims by Dzifa Gunu, nor has he offered an explanation for his absence from the JoyNews NewsFile programme yet.

Background

Addressing journalists on Monday, December 29, 2025, the Ranking Member on the Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said questions surrounding the activities of the GoldBod must be addressed to safeguard the integrity of the scheme.

Oppong Nkrumah highlighted concerns about the role of Alhaji Bawa, the proprietor of Bawa Rock Limited, in becoming what he said was the only licensed aggregator.

“There’s a person known as Alhaji Bawa of Bawa Rock Limited. We bring to the attention of the Ghanaian people the role of his company in becoming the only aggregator licensed by the Gold Board to purchase all artisanal gold directly for the Gold Board from suppliers across the country. A de facto monopoly has been created in this industry where competition used to exist and used to ensure fair pricing, transparency, and the prevention of rent-seeking.

“Who is benefiting from this deliberate monopoly? Who selected Bawa Rock Limited, and what criteria were used? Was it competitive? Who are the beneficial owners of this entity? These are questions the public deserves answers to,” he said.

He said this arrangement has effectively created a monopoly where competition once existed, ensuring fair pricing, transparency, and preventing rent-seeking.

The concerns come amid controversy surrounding an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report which disclosed that Ghana recorded losses estimated at about US$214 million under the Bank of Ghana’s Gold-for-Reserves programme, a development the Fund described as a potential risk to the country’s economic stability.

However, GoldBod rejected the claims in the report insisting it has not recorded any losses and is on course to post a surplus of at least GH¢600 million in the 2025 financial year.

Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, in a statement explained that GoldBod does not charge off-taker fees and that its mandate is limited to purchasing, assaying and exporting gold on behalf of the Bank of Ghana, which retains responsibility for all gold trading and sales.

Read Dzifa Gunu's post below:



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