Eric Opoku, the Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, has criticized Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the CEO of the Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), for misleading the public.
Opoku’s remarks follow a recent statement by Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, who contradicted COCOBOD’s claims about self-financing for the 2024/2025 crop season.
Dr. Adam clarified that the government would seek external funding to support the cocoa sector, contrary to COCOBOD’s previous assertions.
The minority in Parliament had previously criticized COCOBOD’s plan to transition to self-financing for the upcoming season, beginning in September 2024.
Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson had described COCOBOD’s decision as “false, unmeritorious, contrived, and face-saving.”
In an interview with Nana Tuffuor Boateng on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Opoku emphasized that COCOBOD’s CEO should have been honest with Ghanaians instead of providing misleading information.
“We are in a difficult situation, and we wanted the Chief Executive to be candid to the good people of Ghana, but he was economical with the truth. The actual truth is that Ghana is now sourcing funding from the international market.”
“We are now pursuing the syndicated facility; we are still in negotiations with the lenders. We have never taken that bold decision to stop that activity. We are pursuing it vigorously.
So, the Chief Executive shouldn’t have been economical with the truth. He shouldn’t have lied to the good people of Ghana,” he stated.
