Founder of the People’s National Party (PNP), Janet Asana Nabla, has criticised the management of Ghana’s cocoa sector, describing it as being in crisis and accusing COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer, Randy Abbey, of gross incompetence.
Speaking on ABC In The Morning, Madam Nabla argued that Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) are increasingly sourcing cocoa beans from outside the country due to the high cost of Ghanaian cocoa, a development she described as alarming for the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.
“I heard they [LBCs] are going outside to buy because our cocoa is expensive. That is why we brought COCOBOD on board. If you are not capable of doing these things, you are incompetent,” she said.
She further criticised Mr Abbey’s leadership, arguing that his performance in office falls far below the standards he once demanded while he was a media commentator.
“Randy Abbey is becoming super incompetent in some of the things that he does,” she stated. “You used to sit in the media and tell us how to organise things, how to sell cocoa, how to make the place prudent. Today, you have been given power and you cannot prudently manage it, yet you come and give press conferences.”
According to the PNP founder, Ghanaians are growing increasingly frustrated with what she described as excuses and public lamentations from officials, instead of concrete outcomes.
“Ghanaians are not looking for lamentations; they are looking for results,” she stressed.
Madam Nabla also raised concerns about the future of cocoa farming, warning of a disturbing trend where farmers are considering selling their farms to illegal miners due to declining confidence in the sector.
“One of the things we should take cognisance of is cocoa farmers saying they are going to sell their farms to illegal miners. That is a worrying trend,” she cautioned.
Her comments add to the growing public debate over the management of the cocoa sector, which remains a critical pillar of Ghana’s economy and a major source of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of farmers across the country.
