James Agbey is an operative of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC)
An operative of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), James Agbey, has called on Ghanaians to support the ongoing reforms at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), urging critics to allow Chief Executive Officer Dr Randy Abbey to focus on restructuring the institution.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, February 21, 2026, Agbey said although COCOBOD is facing significant operational and financial challenges, efforts to revitalise the organisation should not be undermined by political criticism or misinformation.
“The recent brouhaha surrounding the operations of COCOBOD is still generating massive interest and reviews in several quarters,” he stated, adding that while the institution is “in some sort of crisis,”
“Ghanaians must not allow those he accused of contributing to past challenges to derail ongoing recovery efforts,” he added.
Agbey attributed the current difficulties facing COCOBOD largely to accumulated challenges during the administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) between 2017 and 2024.
According to him, financial records at the end of 2024 showed the cocoa regulator had a cumulative debt of GH¢32.9 billion.
He further claimed that COCOBOD recorded a negative equity position of approximately GH¢3.9 billion, indicating that the organisation’s liabilities exceeded its assets at the time of the leadership transition.
“That’s the true state of COCOBOD NPP left behind and handed over to Dr Randy Abbey,” he said, adding that the CEO “is doing a good job at cleaning the mess.”
The NDC operative also alleged procurement irregularities during the previous administration, claiming that some suppliers purchased chemicals at $15 and resold them to COCOBOD for $80, although he noted that the matter would require further attention.
COCOBOD Board suspends sitting allowances to back sector reforms
Agbey expressed concern over what he described as a coordinated campaign aimed at undermining the current leadership of COCOBOD through misinformation and public criticism.
“We’ve seen how they’re actively spreading lies and misinformation simply to discredit COCOBOD’s leadership and to derail the organisation’s ongoing transformation into a corruption-free, performance-driven company,” he said.
He further alleged that certain actors were attempting to frustrate reforms because they viewed Dr Abbey as an outsider in Ghana’s political space, adding that such efforts included “planting scandalous and fabricated reports” intended to mislead the public and distract management.
According to him, organised protests against COCOBOD leadership were part of attempts to create disaffection toward the institution’s management.
“These are calculated efforts by those who feel threatened by reform, transparency, accountability and change,” he stated, urging Ghanaians to remain supportive of the reform agenda.
Agbey maintained that early performance indicators suggest improvement within the cocoa sector, noting that COCOBOD achieved progress across cocoa production and marketing operations in 2025 through what he described as “robust strategic initiatives.”
“And so far, Dr Randy Abbey has deployed effective and efficient management practices in dealing with the mess left behind,” he said, insisting that it was “fair and proper that he’s left alone to clean up the mess.”
Quoting American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Agbey said meaningful achievements require sustained effort, adding that the current leadership needs time to deliver results.
