The Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Peter Boamah Otokunor, has said that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has no moral right to criticise the government over the ongoing cocoa sector crisis.
Speaking on ABC In The Morning, Dr. Otokunor argued that the cocoa industry was already in deep crisis before the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed office, insisting that the previous administration left behind a financially distressed Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
“COCOBOD was a collapsed institution when we took over,” he said, attributing the situation to what he described as reckless and misdirected spending under the former management.
According to him, the financial strain currently facing the cocoa sector stems from decisions taken by the previous government. “The reckless spending and misdirected spending of the management led us into a crisis,” he stated.
Dr. Otokunor maintained that given the state in which the cocoa regulator was left, the NPP is not in a position to criticise the current administration’s handling of the sector.
“If I were them, I would keep quiet,” he said.
On the issue of producer prices, he rejected claims that cocoa farmers received better rates under the NPP administration. “It can never be that the NPP were giving better prices than the price we are giving,” he asserted.
He explained that cocoa pricing is heavily influenced by global market trends, stressing that the current price levels reflect prevailing international conditions.
“The price given to cocoa farmers is less because the price on the international market is less,” Dr. Otokunor noted.
His comments add to the ongoing political debate over the management of Ghana’s cocoa industry, which remains a key driver of the country’s economy and a major source of income for farmers nationwide.
