Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has thrown down the gauntlet to former Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, challenging him to directly confront him over a dispute the GoldBod boss says is rooted in issues not fully known to the public.

Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, August 22, Mr Gyamfi said there are “many underlying issues” between him and Mr Afenyo-Markin that have not been publicly discussed, suggesting that the former Majority Leader should engage him directly rather than allow others to speak on his behalf.

“There are many underlying issues between I and Afenyo-Markin that you don’t know and those watching don’t know,” he said.

His comments follow comments made at the government's accountability series last Wednesday, where Mr Gyamfi made remarks about Mr Afenyo-Markin that subsequently drew criticism from members and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Gyamfi questioned why Mr Afenyo-Markin had not personally confronted him over the comments or publicly challenged the claims he made.

He suggested that the former Majority Leader should respond directly if he disagreed with what had been said about him.

“And why have you not heard Afenyo say anything about that or challenge me? Or threaten to sue?” he asked.

For Mr Gyamfi, the absence of a direct response from Mr Afenyo-Markin is significant, particularly given the seriousness of the disagreement.

He argued that the former Majority Leader is aware of the circumstances behind the exchange and therefore has reasons for not directly challenging him.

“Because he knows that what I said is true,” Mr Gyamfi asserted.

The GoldBod CEO also rejected suggestions that he is uncomfortable with criticism or unwilling to subject himself to public scrutiny.

He described himself as a “consummate democrat” who welcomes political debate and said his record of public engagement demonstrates his willingness to face critics.

“I am a consummate democrat, I eat and drink debate. I am not worried if you criticise me,” he said.

Mr Gyamfi pointed to his numerous appearances on Newsfile and his long history of holding press conferences and engaging political opponents.

“I have appeared on Newsfile many times, perhaps in this country, I have held more press conferences on political issues than anybody,” he said.

He said his willingness to repeatedly engage critics shows that he does not consider criticism itself to be a problem.

The GoldBod CEO suggested that the issue should be settled between the two principal actors.

He maintained that there are facts and circumstances surrounding their disagreement that are not known to the public and implied that a direct engagement would bring those issues into the open.

“So the NPP people talking, there are things you don’t know,” he said.

Mr Gyamfi insisted that the disagreement should not be viewed simply as another political quarrel between a government official and an opposition politician.

According to him, there are deeper issues between the two men that inform his position.

“There are many underlying issues between I and Afenyo-Markin that you don’t know,” he reiterated.

Mr Gyamfi also sought to draw a distinction between legitimate criticism and the particular dispute with Mr Afenyo-Markin.

He said he has spent much of his political career engaging critics publicly and has never shied away from difficult political conversations.

He therefore rejected calls for him to retreat from his position simply because it had generated criticism among NPP supporters.