Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah has raised concerns about Sammy Gyamfi’s appointment
Media personality Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah has sparked controversy over Sammy Gyamfi‘s appointment as the Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC).
In response to Gyamfi’s appointment by President John Dramani Mahama, Afrifa-Mensah, a staunch critic of the National Democratic Congress administration, questioned why Gyamfi, who had previously worked for Exton Cubic, a mining company, was selected to lead the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC).
According to him, Exton Cubic, the company Gyamfi previously worked for, was close to acquiring the Nyinahin Bauxite, raising concerns about the motives behind his appointment.
In a post on Facebook on January 16, 2025, Afrifa-Mensah wrote, “Sammy Gyamfi, who worked for Exton Cubic, the company that was close to acquiring Nhyinahin Bauxite, is the new CEO PMMC?”
Meanwhile, Sammy Gyamfi’s appointment which took effect on January 16, 2025, tasks him with the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), a key promise in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto.
The Gold Board will be responsible for the sustainable management and marketing of Ghana’s gold resources for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
The board’s responsibilities will include formalising the small-scale gold mining sector and providing mining support services for the industry.
Background
Exton Cubic’s mining leases, granted to mine bauxite deposits at a forest reserve in Nyinahin in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region, were declared void and invalid by the previous Akufo-Addo government in 2017.
The government cited that the three mining leases were invalid because the country’s mining laws had not been properly followed in securing the licenses.
It further explained that a series of documents required from Exton Cubic were not submitted, and as a result, the leases granted to the company on December 29, 2016, were deemed invalid.
However, the mining company refuted the government’s claims, stating that it was granted the mining lease for the Nyinahini bauxite concession by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on December 29, 2016, after satisfying “all the laid-down procedures required by law.”
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