The Majority in Parliament has rejected calls by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority for President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Randy Abbey, over the recent reduction in cocoa producer prices.
On Thursday, February 12, the Minority accused Mr Abbey of mismanaging the cocoa sector and argued that the downward adjustment in producer prices signalled a failure of leadership at COCOBOD, demanding his immediate removal.
However, Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Godfred Seidu Jassaw, described the demand as unjustified and premature. In his view, the sector’s challenges are longstanding and cannot be attributed solely to the current CEO.
“It’s not a plausible pathway,” he said.
“If you look at what has happened and the reasons for where we are, I think Randy Abbey is rather doing a lot well and a lot better to keep the ship sailing. So please, let’s not personalise it.”
Dr Jassaw maintained that the difficulties confronting COCOBOD stem from structural weaknesses that existed before Mr Abbey assumed office. He argued that the current management is working to stabilise the sector and implement reforms aimed at long-term sustainability.
“Randy has been able to hold on this far. He’s been able to manage in a way that can guarantee us some sustainability going forward, some growth going forward,” he noted.
He urged critics to allow the ongoing reforms to take effect before drawing conclusions about the leadership’s performance.
“If it’s a function of management, then I think we should allow the current management to implement these reforms. Let’s observe,” he said.
Dr Jassaw also assured that Parliament would continue to exercise its oversight role over COCOBOD’s activities and financial performance.
“As Parliament, we’ll continue to play our oversight role. We’ll be monitoring every inch of this. And if there’s a need for us to agree with our colleagues in the Minority, we will. But today, I disagree completely with them,” he stated.
The disagreement follows an announcement by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson on a revised cocoa producer price introduced to cushion farmers amid falling global cocoa prices.
Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, February 12, Dr Forson disclosed that the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), which he chairs, met earlier in the day to review pricing for the remainder of the 2025–2026 crop season.
“The PPRC has recommended that the farmer be paid 90% of the achieved gross FOB of USD 4,200 per tonne,” he said.
Based on that recommendation, the committee approved a new producer price of GH₵41,392 per tonne, equivalent to GH₵2,587 per bag, with immediate effect.
The development has intensified political debate over the management of Ghana’s cocoa sector, a key contributor to the national economy, as stakeholders continue to assess the implications of the price adjustment and broader reform efforts.
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