James Abbey is an operative of the National Democratic Congress
An operative of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), James Agbey, has called on Ghanaians to support ongoing reform efforts at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), urging critics to allow Chief Executive Officer Dr Randy Abbey to focus on restructuring the institution.
In a statement issued on Saturday, February 21, 2026, Agbey said the debate surrounding COCOBOD’s operations reflects widespread public concern but warned against actions he believes could undermine efforts to revitalise the organisation.
“The recent brouhaha surrounding the operations of COCOBOD is still generating massive interest and reviews in several quarters,” he stated.
“While we cannot feign ignorance of the fact that COCOBOD is in some sort of crisis, we… must not allow those who caused the mess to derail COCOBOD’s agenda of resuscitation and rejuvenation,” he said.
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Agbey attributed the current challenges facing COCOBOD to what he described as accumulated problems during the administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) between 2017 and 2024.
According to him, financial records at the end of 2024 indicated that COCOBOD had a cumulative debt of GH¢32.9 billion and a negative equity position of about GH¢3.9 billion, meaning the institution’s liabilities exceeded its assets.
“That’s the true state of COCOBOD NPP left behind and handed over to Dr Randy Abbey; he is doing a good job at cleaning the mess,” he said.
The NDC operative further alleged procurement irregularities under the previous administration, claiming that some suppliers purchased chemicals at $15 and sold them to COCOBOD for $80, though he added that the matter would require further examination.
Agbey also raised concerns about what he described as a coordinated attempt to undermine the current leadership of COCOBOD through misinformation and political attacks.
“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 alleged that certain actors within Ghana’s political space were opposed to Dr Abbey’s leadership because they viewed him as an outsider, accusing them of “planting scandalous and fabricated reports” aimed at misleading the public and distracting management.
“These are calculated efforts by those who feel threatened by reform, transparency, accountability, and change,” Agbey stated, adding that reported protests against COCOBOD leadership were part of attempts to create public disaffection.
Despite the challenges, he said the organisation’s performance indicators were showing signs of improvement, citing progress across cocoa production and marketing operations in 2025.
“COCOBOD’s key performance indicators are pointing towards a positive direction,” he noted, adding that the current management had implemented “effective and efficient management practices in dealing with the mess left behind.”
Agbey urged the public to allow the leadership time to deliver results, arguing that sustained reform requires patience and support.
“Randy Abbey is the man to turn COCOBOD around, and he is doing exactly that. Let’s support him… for him to deliver the goods,” he concluded.
