Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, has announced that the Ministry of Roads and Highways will take over road construction projects previously managed by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), citing mismanagement and unsustainable financial commitments.

Addressing a press briefing on the cocoa sector and related infrastructure challenges, the Bolgatanga Central MP disclosed that COCOBOD entered 2025 with more than GH¢26.5 billion in outstanding road commitments. Of this amount, only GH¢4.4 billion has been certified, rationalised and transferred to the Roads Ministry for implementation.

He stressed that road construction falls outside COCOBOD’s core mandate, particularly at a time when the board is facing significant financial strain.

“It is time for us to wash our hands off cocoa roads and get the appropriate ministry — the Ministry of Roads and Highways — to take over the construction of roads,” he said.

Mr Adongo further revealed that between 2017 and 2020, COCOBOD undertook road projects without board approval. He said contracts worth GH¢1.4 billion were awarded in 2017, GH¢14 billion in 2018–2019, and GH¢5.8 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite no allocations being approved for such works.

“The end result is that we are now saddled with about GH¢26.6 billion in road commitments at COCOBOD. Certainly, this cannot continue,” he stated.

He also raised concerns about the management of loans from the African Development Bank. According to him, COCOBOD accessed a GH¢600 million facility, of which GH¢250 million was not released by the bank. He added that the remaining GH¢350 million, intended to boost cocoa production, failed to achieve its objective, as cocoa output declined.

Mr Adongo maintained that transferring the road projects to the Roads Ministry would rationalise spending and allow COCOBOD to concentrate on its core responsibility of improving cocoa production.