A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticized the government’s handling of Ghana’s cocoa sector, saying that leadership failures have left farmers vulnerable and questioning the use of global market conditions to justify current challenges.
Ishaq Ibrahim, of the party’s legal directorate, spoke on Saturday (7 February) during an appearance on The Forum, a political and current affairs program on Asaase Radio.
“You told the NPP government that it had mismanaged the economy and could not blame external factors. Now why are you citing the world market?” Ibrahim asked.
“Farmers are vulnerable. Legislation has tied their hands because if they cross the border, you accuse them of smuggling.”
Misleading commitments
Ibrahim also criticized government promises to cocoa farmers, including assurances of higher prices and value addition, suggesting these commitments were misleading.
“You promised them better prices and adding value to cocoa. For me, I do not blame Randy Abbey alone… If there are issues of incompetence, it is not just him, it is the whole government team, including the Ministry of Agriculture,” he said.
He argued that the current situation reflects broader systemic problems within the government’s management of Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Growing pressure
The comments come amid growing pressure from the Minority Caucus in Parliament, which has called on the government and COCOBOD to settle more than GHC 10 billion in outstanding payments owed to cocoa farmers and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).
COCOBOD has warned that international buyers are increasingly avoiding Ghanaian cocoa due to higher prices compared with other producing countries.
Also speaking on the show was Senyo Amekplenu, a member of the NPP’s communications team who dismissed this explanation, arguing that it reflected inadequate leadership and a poor understanding of the cocoa market.
“Randy Abbey should tender his resignation letter. He does not deserve to be there,” he said.
Possible strike
Meanwhile, cocoa farmers have warned they could reconsider doing business with the government if the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) fails to fulfil its statutory obligation to purchase cocoa beans.
President of the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) Stephenson Anane Boateng said COCOBOD, which has a legal mandate to buy cocoa from farmers, must be fully prepared to do so or formally inform farmers if it can no longer meet that obligation.
“We know COCOBOD is mandated to buy the cocoa, and once I have produced the cocoa it is their responsibility to buy it,” Boateng said on The Forum. “If they are not ready to buy any longer, they should let us know so that we can decide what to do with our products.”
Boateng rejected suggestions that farmers should help design solutions to challenges facing the cocoa sector, arguing that research and policy formulation fall within COCOBOD’s remit.
“They have doctors, professors and researchers at COCOBOD. Cocoa farmers are not knowledgeable enough to be giving ideas on how the cocoa business should be run,” he said.
Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra).
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale).
Listen online: atlanticafricanews.com/, Sound Garden and TuneIn.
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3.
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra.
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand
Ibrahim’s comments add to rising pressure on the government and COCOBOD officials, including CEO Dr. Randy Abbey, whose competence and leadership have been questioned by other party members and political analysts in recent weeks.
