Former Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, has criticised the government over what he describes as “dishonesty” in the handling of cocoa producer prices.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Dr. Afriyie said the debate over cocoa pricing goes beyond economics and touches on ethics and morality.
“We are talking about ethics and morality. Why would a government make promises it cannot fulfil? That is what makes me think that the electorate and our farmers have been scammed” he said.
He argued that political actors must be honest with cocoa farmers, especially when making campaign promises about pricing.
According to him, if President John Dramani Mahama is serious about resetting the country, it must begin with a change in mindset and institutional culture.
“If Mahama is talking about resetting, he should start resetting the minds and the industries. It is not philosophy. If we reset our minds, there is nothing we cannot do,” Dr. Afriyie stated. “Whatever is happening now is a lack of morality and ethics. This is pure dishonesty.”
Dr. Afriyie further accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using spot prices for political advantage while in opposition.
“When they were accusing the former president of harming farmers, they did not talk about average prices or day-to-day fluctuations. They used spot prices for political advantage, which is gross dishonesty because that is not what they promised,” he said.
He also suggested that the original purpose of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been undermined.
“The reason COCOBOD was set up has been defeated. The assumption is that cocoa prices will always rise, but that is not the case. There are experts there, but they have refused to use them. It is not rocket science,” he added.
Dr. Afriyie noted that even if price adjustments are necessary, deviations should be minimal to cushion farmers.
“At least, even if you will deviate, you should deviate a little so cocoa farmers can be shielded from commodity shocks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has dismissed recent protests over cocoa prices as politically motivated, insisting that genuine cocoa farmers understand and support the government’s response to the global cocoa crisis.
However, Dr. Afriyie described the situation as a “systems failure that clashed with politics.”
“I know Ato Forson and Mahama Ayariga. They know the truth. They should come clean and apologise,” he stated.
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