The Majority in Parliament has pushed back against calls by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority for President John Mahama to dismiss the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Randy Abbey, following the government’s decision to reduce cocoa producer prices.

On Thursday, February 12, the NPP Minority accused Mr Abbey of mismanaging the cocoa sector and demanded his immediate removal, arguing that the price reduction was evidence of leadership failure at COCOBOD.

However, the Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Dr. Godfred Seidu Jassaw, dismissed the demand as unfounded and premature.

Describing the Minority’s position as “completely unjustified,” Dr. Jassaw said the challenges confronting the cocoa sector predate Mr Abbey’s tenure and are rooted in deeper structural issues.

“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.”

According to him, COCOBOD’s current difficulties stem from long-standing systemic weaknesses rather than individual mismanagement.

He maintained that since his appointment, Mr Abbey has focused on addressing those structural deficiencies and steering the sector toward stability.

“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,” Dr. Jassaw noted.

He urged critics to allow the current management team the space to implement ongoing reforms before drawing conclusions about their effectiveness.

“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.

• Read also: Gov’t sets new farmgate cocoa price at GH₵41,392 per tonne for 2025–2026 season

Dr. Jassaw assured that Parliament would continue to exercise its oversight responsibility over COCOBOD’s operations and 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 exchange underscores rising political tensions over the state of Ghana’s cocoa sector, a critical pillar of the country’s economy, as stakeholders debate the path to recovery and sustainability.

Background

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced a revised cocoa producer price aimed at cushioning farmers against the recent decline in global cocoa prices.

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, February 12, Dr Forson disclosed that the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), under his chairmanship, convened earlier in the day to assess the challenges facing the sector and to review the producer price for the remainder of the 2025–2026 crop season.

In order to mitigate the impact of falling international prices, the PPRC recommended that farmers receive 90% of the achieved gross Free on Board (FOB) price of USD 4,200 per tonne.

"The PPRC has recommended that the farmer be paid 90% of the achieved gross fob of USD 4,200 per tonne," he said.

As a result, the committee has set the new producer price at GH₵41,392 per tonne, equivalent to GH₵2,587 per bag, effective immediately.