Sammy Gyamfi has revealed that his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board came as a surprise to him, stressing that it was not something he had anticipated but rather a reflection of the trust and confidence placed in him by President John Mahama.
Speaking in an interview on PM Express Business Edition with George Wiafe, Gyamfi described the moment he received the call from the President as both deeply personal and unexpected. According to him, his relationship with President Mahama goes beyond politics, characterising it as a father-son bond built over time.
“For me, it was an exciting call made by the president. The president, to some of us as a father figure, is not just a flagbearer. He’s not just our President, but somebody that I’ve enjoyed the father-son relationship with for some time now, and he’s a great visionary,” he said.
Gyamfi explained that the President’s decision to appoint him reflected a level of confidence that exceeded even his own expectations. He noted that, prior to the appointment, many people had assumed he would be considered for roles related to communications, given his background and contributions while his party was in opposition.
“So what he may see in you, you may not even have seen in yourself. Maybe many never expected that, upon winning power, I would find myself where I am. I’m sure many have predicted that I may have landed some communication-related job based on what I was doing for the party in opposition,” he stated.
He emphasised that President Mahama appeared to recognise qualities in him that others may have overlooked, leading to his placement at the helm of the Gold Board. According to Gyamfi, this opportunity reflects a broader belief in his capabilities and potential to contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic transformation.
Gyamfi also acknowledged the support of the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, whom he described as both a close ally and a key partner in implementing the President’s vision for Ghana’s gold sector.
“Supported by my able minister, who is like a brother to me as well, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, we have been able to push the agenda of the president for the gold sector,” he noted.
He stressed that gold plays a central role in the government’s broader economic reset strategy, highlighting its importance to Ghana’s long-term development. According to Gyamfi, the President believes the country has historically not maximised the full benefits of its natural resources, particularly since independence.
“Gold is very essential to the reset agenda of the President, because he believes that Ghana could have maximised national benefits and exerted its sovereignty over its gold resources more than we have done since independence,” he explained.
Beyond extraction, Gyamfi outlined a renewed strategic focus on strengthening Ghana’s control over the entire gold value chain, including marketing, trading, and revenue retention. He said the administration is prioritising reforms that will ensure more value remains within the country to support economic growth.
“And so when he was given the second opportunity to govern as president, he needed a certain urgency for his agenda of transformation—not only the exploitation, but also the market and the trading of our gold resources—to ensure that we reset the sector and drive meaningful change,” he added.
He pointed to longstanding structural challenges the government aims to address, including financial leakages, low foreign exchange (FX) repatriation, and limited national control over the gold trade. According to him, the goal is to ensure that Ghana benefits more directly from its mineral wealth and that proceeds from the sector are reinvested into the domestic economy.
“The narrative of leakages, the narrative of low repatriation of FX, and ensuring that Ghanaians are in control—not only of the exploitation of our mineral resources but also of the trading of same—so that the proceeds come back into the economy to support and propel the President’s transformation agenda,” he said.
Despite acknowledging that many qualified individuals within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) could have been considered for the role, Gyamfi described his appointment as a rare honour and privilege.
“So that was why I believe he saw me worthy, and there are many people in the NDC who are qualified for the job. So for me to have been given the opportunity was a rare privilege for which I am forever grateful to the president,” he said.
He concluded by expressing a personal commitment to justify the trust placed in him, stating that he remains focused on delivering results and contributing to the success of the government’s agenda.
“And every day when I wake up, my prayer is to work hard to justify the confidence he reposed in me and not to let him down,” he said, adding that he believes many of his colleagues in government share the same sense of responsibility and dedication.
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