Former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has expressed shock at former COCOBOD CEO, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, over claims regarding the abolition of syndicated loans for cocoa purchases.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Mr. Acheampong insisted that as the sector minister at the time, he was the one who championed the policy through all official processes.
“The policy to cancel syndicated loans is not a CEO policy; it is a ministerial policy. Before any matter goes to Cabinet, it is first referred to the Economic Sub-Committee. As the sector minister, I had to defend the proposal there, and again when it went to the main Cabinet. I also stood in Parliament to defend it when issues were raised,” he explained.
He continued, “Yes, you may have contributed, but the credit is shared with everybody who worked on this policy. Even in the past, I have given credit to everyone involved and praised the President at the time for supporting it. But the bold leader who took this idea through all the processes to the end was the sector minister.”
Mr. Acheampong dismissed Mr. Aidoo’s claims as politically motivated, suggesting that the former CEO was attempting to score points ahead of the 2028 elections.
“I am really surprised that he would attempt to rebut what I have said. I am aware of his political stance. You may support a candidate, but you dare not come on air and claim credit for something you did not champion” he said.
He also clarified the timeline, noting that while Boahen Aidoo served as COCOBOD CEO from 2017 to 2023, syndicated loans were still in use during that period.
“I was the Minister in 2023 and 2024, and that is when this idea of self-financing began to take shape. The concept had been discussed at COCOBOD for a long time, but the CEO did not originate it. The final decision to stop syndication was driven by the Ministry.”
Mr. Acheampong stressed that policy-making is a collective process.
“In the Boardroom, junior staff may disagree on certain aspects, but the policy is polished and finalized only when it is submitted to Cabinet. As the sector minister, I am the only one who can present such matters to the Economic Management Team. Discussions are thorough, and consensus is reached before it goes forward.”
His comments come after Mr. Boahen Aidoo accused Mr. Acheampong of “blatant intellectual plagiarism and dishonesty” over the policy, which Mr. Acheampong firmly rejected.
“The policy was never the CEO’s alone. It is the responsibility of the sector minister to drive such initiatives from conception to Cabinet approval.”
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
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