The Head of Public Relations at COCOBOD, Fifi Boafo has said the Minority in Parliament's call for the resignation of COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Boahen Aidoo is an act of retaliation.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Wednesday, he claimed that the call came as a result of the COCOBOD CEO correcting former President Mahama in a statement about his remarks regarding the increase in the price of cocoa to GH¢1,308.

Mr Mahama complained that the increase was insufficient and called the government "insensitive" to the plight of farmers.

But in a response, the COCOBOD CEO in a statement dated September 12 said Mr Mahama ought to be acquainted with the procedure for determining the producer price of cocoa.

Mr Aidoo explained that the 2023/24 crop was sold between October 2022 and March 2023 at international prices ranging from $2,200 to $2,400 per tonne.

“Since you have had the privilege of being in government before as the number one gentleman of the country, it is expected that you would be familiar with the process for determining the producer price of cocoa.

“I am, therefore, surprised that you chose, rather erroneously, to use the current international market price of cocoa at $3,600 per tonne as the basis for your calculation in your post on the recently announced producer price,” portions of the statement read.

For this reason, the Head of Public Relations at COCOBOD believes the call for the CEO's resignation is simply an act to get back at Mr Aidoo.

“This is just a way of getting back at him [COCOBOD CEO]. It is to be expected. The people who obviously, briefed the former President to make that mistake are the ones talking. So it is a way of diluting matters just to wash what they have done,” he said.

His comment comes against the backdrop of the Minority requesting the resignation of the COCOBOD CEO, for allegedly running down COCOBOD and shortchanging farmers.

According to the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the cocoa sector has seen the lowest production in 15 years.

He added that COCOBOD has also recorded massive losses since 2017.

“Everything has gone bad at the Ghana COCOBOD. Last year, according to their own audit report, they declared a loss of 2.4 billion cedis in one year and the question is what is going on?

“Clearly, I don’t think that Joseph Boahen Aidoo deserves to be in office. He has mismanaged the cocoa sector massively, he has been reckless, shortchanged the cocoa farmers and in the end, he has brought productivity down, and so I don’t see he should be in office. He should rather resign instead of insulting former president Mahama," he said.