‘I resigned from the GoldBod Board about five months ago’ – BoG Governor Asiama

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has firmly denied claims of conflict with the Bank of Ghana (BoG) stemming from the departure of Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama from the GoldBod board. A GoldBod spokesperson stated on Facebook that the impression of discord was misleading. Dr Asiama's resignation from the board was revealed in September, a month after he informed the Bank of Ghana of his departure.

The Governor's comments came during the Bank of Ghana's latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, where he explained his reduced involvement in GoldBod board meetings due to his workload. Concerns were raised by the New Patriotic Party about potential conflicts of interest between Dr Asiama's dual roles. GoldBod clarified that Dr Asiama had initially opted to serve personally on the board upon its establishment but later nominated the BoG's Second Deputy Governor, Mrs Matilda Asante-Asiedu, to represent him.

Section 4(e) of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140) permits the BoG Governor or a representative to serve on the board. The BoG Governor also confirmed to the MPC that the law does not necessitate his personal presence on the board, allowing for representation by another official of the appropriate rank. GoldBod's board now lists the BoG Governor or his representative, as evidenced by other board members' representation changes.

The Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, have previously nominated deputies to represent them on the board. GoldBod emphasized that Dr Asiama's departure does not indicate an internal crisis or a rift between the BoG and GoldBod. The two institutions continue to cooperate, with GoldBod urging the public not to misconstrue the change in board representation as evidence of institutional discord.