Hon. Kwame Asafo Agyei, the majority spokesperson on Cocoa Affairs Committee in Parliament has called on the minority National Democratic Congress to accord the erstwhile Kufuor’s administration some credit regarding the increase in cocoa production in Ghana over the years.
According to him, the efforts to increase cocoa production started from former president Kuffuor’s regime and blamed the NDC for playing politics with the cocoa sector.
“In the year 2000 when president Kufuor took over power, he has done a lot to increase cocoa production level. He introduced mass cocoa spraying exercises for the farmers and high-technology,” he said.
The minority in parliament has criticized the New Patriotic Party government for taking “insensitive actions” that have worsened the plight of cocoa farmers in the country.
The Member of Parliament, Hon. Evans Aidoo cited a number of projects which he explained were examples of such ‘insensitive actions’ taken by the government such as the discontinuation of contracts of 231 cocoa roads, the replacement of the free fertilization programme with a subsidized arrangement and the inadequate and discriminatory supply of chemicals to cocoa farmers, as some of the insensitive actions taken by the government.
The Nsuta Kwamang Beposo law –maker (Hon. Asafo Agyei) wondered how the Ghana Cocoa Board which is not the Ministry for Roads, could award or cancel road renovation contracts.
“Is the Ghana Cocoa Board Ministry of Roads and Highways? Why should they be awarding road contracts?” Hon. Agyei questioned.
He alleged that government had terminated some of the road contracts partly due to financial malfeasance for which forensic auditing was ongoing.
Hon. Asafo Agyei appealed to politicians to desist from “cocoa politics” and rather think of the way forward to manage the cocoa sector since Ghana has the bigger share on the world market.
“Instead of doing cocoa politics let manage our cocoa than to be accusing one another back and forth,” he advised.
He further said the Government of Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire should put heads together to find a way to sell their cocoa anytime prices drop because the two countries supply the largest quantities of cocoa.
Source: Omanba Kodwo Boafo/omanbaboafo84@gmail.com/ritefmonline.org
