John Mahama is the President of Ghana
The National Cocoa Farmers Association of Ghana has declared that any move to remove the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, must be extended to his deputies and the entire senior executive team.
Yaa Asantewaa, Public Relations Officer of the Association, asserted that the current leadership at COCOBOD has demonstrated a clear lack of competence in managing the sector.
Speaking in response to the announcement that President John Dramani Mahama will convene an emergency Cabinet meeting to address the ongoing cocoa crisis, Madam Asantewaa described the move as “long overdue.” While she welcomed the meeting, she emphasised that the only acceptable outcome for farmers is the immediate release of all unpaid arrears.
“Our expectation is that what we are owed will be paid. The meeting summoned by the President is long overdue. We have complained for too long, and so we expect that they will pay us.”
She further warned that the Association would “advise itself” should the government fail to settle the debts or attempt to reduce the current price of cocoa.
Addressing the political context, Madam Asantewaa acknowledged that the current administration inherited significant debts from the previous government. However, she noted that farmers expect the NDC government to honour its campaign promises.
“It was one of the reasons we voted against the NPP in 2024,” she stated. “The NDC promised to do better. They told us the government would give us GH¢7,000 for our cocoa, but we have yet to receive it.”
When questioned about the potential removal of Dr Randy Abbey, Madam Asantewaa expressed indifference toward him personally, focusing instead on what she described as the collective failure of the board’s leadership.
“We had no major concern about his appointment, although we questioned how a media personality and a football administrator would be appointed to manage the cocoa sector. But President Mahama knew why he appointed him. We have no interest in whether he is sacked or retained.”
However, she was quick to add that if the President deems Dr Abbey unfit for the role, the purge must be thorough.
“COCOBOD is always recording losses. Why should that be the case when we have people working there? If it were a private business, would they have managed it in that manner? From our assessment, we think those at the helm of affairs at COCOBOD are incompetent and not Randy Abbey alone. They have created difficulties for cocoa farmers, and if the President is committed to cocoa, he must take immediate action.”
In her concluding remarks, Madam Asantewaa suggested that the recent establishment of the Ghana Gold Board may have distracted the government, leading to a shift in focus and resources away from the cocoa sector.
