Mahama Criticizes Cocobod for Prioritizing Expenditures Over Cocoa Farmers

John Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has condemned Cocobod for prioritizing its extravagant spending at its Accra headquarters instead of investing in struggling cocoa farmers.

Concluding his five-day tour of the Eastern Region, Mahama expressed his concerns about Cocobod’s financial management, especially amid declining cocoa production.

“Cocoa farmers have faced ongoing hardships, yet Cocobod chooses to allocate substantial funds for its headquarters operations,” he stated. “This is unacceptable. In the past four years, cocoa production has plummeted to 555,000 tonnes, while Cocobod’s headquarters expenditures soared to a staggering GHC3.4 billion in 2023. How does this help our hardworking farmers? Instead, they are spending on luxury cars and excessive salaries.”

Mahama also shared his vision for revitalizing the cocoa sector and improving farmers’ livelihoods if he is elected in 2024. “We are committed to better management of the cocoa sector. Under our government, cocoa farmers will see significant benefits. We plan to implement year-round irrigation in cocoa-growing regions and establish cocoa processing plants to enhance local value addition,” he asserted.