Branded Chocolates: COCOBOD CEO deserves praise – NPP MP

Ghanaians should commend rather than condemn the CEO of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, for “freely” advertising locally-manufactured chocolate on behalf of Cocobod through the embossment of his picture on some pieces of the confectionery to mark his 60th birthday, Chairman of the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Select Committee of parliament, Kwame Asafu-Adjei has said.

According to the MP for Nsuta/Kwamang/Beposo in the Ashanti Region, the COCOBOD CEO rather did the company a favour, and, so, must be hailed.

“What is wrong with it? There’s nothing wrong with that because he is the CEO. How many people buy chocolate, how many people eat chocolate? If he has decided to advertise the product, what is wrong with that?

“The money he used to purchase the chocolate, did it come from his personal pocket or is it from Cocobod? If it’s from his personal pocket, his own money, then there’s nothing wrong. If it came from COCOBOD sources, then we all have an issue to be discussed. As I speak, there is no evidence to suggest that the money came from COCOBOD,” the lawmaker of the Majority Caucus told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Tuesday, 9 January in Mr Boahen Aidoo’s defence.

Mr Asafu-Adjei’s comments were a reaction to critics such as Minority Caucus lawmaker Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, MP for Juaboso, who have questioned the propriety of the embossment of the COCOBOD CEO’s face on pieces of chocolate to celebrate his birthday.

“What is his [Kwabena Mintah Akandoh] problem if somebody is branding a chocolate, what is my friend’s problem? I can’t get it,” Mr Asafu-Adjei said.

“As far as I’m concerned, the CEO should be commended; he is doing an advertisement for the company; free advertisement, he should be commended. The man has done a good job advertising chocolate on behalf of Cocobod at no cost,” Mr Asafu-Adjei insisted.