The Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has criticised the management of Ghana’s cocoa sector, arguing that the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has become a drain on the very farmers it was established to support.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 23, Mr Bentil drew on the history of the University of Ghana as an example of how cocoa revenues were once put to strategic national use.

“In fact, the building of the University of Ghana, if you know the history of it, came from a simple idea: let’s take a bit of money from each cocoa bag,” he explained. “That’s why we have that institution there. That’s why it’s named Akuafo Hall.”

He contrasted that vision with the current state of affairs, accusing Accra-based elites of hijacking the benefits of cocoa revenue.

“People sitting in Accra who can’t tell the difference between a cocoa tree are the ones benefiting,” he said.

“It does not make sense to take the money of poor, hardworking farmers and give it to Accra-based, suit-wearing people sitting in air-conditioned offices.”

Mr Bentil singled out COCOBOD for particular criticism, describing it as an institution that has outlived its usefulness and now serves mainly to maintain a bloated bureaucracy.

“Look at the number of people working in COCOBOD, and for these people not to be helping the farmers but essentially sapping them and sapping them dry,” he argued.

He went further to suggest that dismantling the institution could in fact benefit the country. “If we collapse COCOBOD today, Ghana’s economy will be better, and farmers will be better. They can organise themselves absolutely,” he concluded.