COCOBOD Staff rally for CEO

...Say myriad allegations are inaccurate, palpable lies

Staff of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has debunked several allegations of maladministration and corruption levelled against its Chief Executive by a cross-section of critics, stating that such allegations are spurious lies full of inaccuracies.

According to the COCOBOD's Supreme Council, the highest workers' body of the company, such allegations of half-truths and lies taint not only the Chief Executive's hard-won reputation, but that of the country's, and discourages its bankers from investing in the cocoa sector.

The COCOBOD has come under heavy criticism in the media recently, with various libelous allegations of poor administration, corruption and cronyism under the watch of the current Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Opuni.

Some of the critics allege that such practices are affecting the supply of inputs and has led to under production of some 200,000 tonnes less than the expected 900,000 tonnes of cocoa beans which is costing or will cost the country about GHc600 million.

But speaking at a workers' durbar, attended by a cross-section of workers under the COCOBOD at the head office in Accra, last Friday, Alhaji Idris Hassan, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Workers, called on the staff to remain calm as the issues raised are a fabrication of lies and inaccurate information.

He said the workers' body will not sit down to allow certain things that are not true to persist and destroy the credibility of the industry, assuring that at the right time the COCOBOD will call a press conference for management and technical people to explain to the whole world the truth as it pertains in the cocoa industry.

For instance, Alhaji Hassan stated it is not factual that the chief executive has given contracts of fertilizer and chemical inputs to cronies in a rush, without going through the procurement process.

He said the COCOBOD holds issues of quality in high esteem, and that he knows that the company will never compromise such values for somebody's else's whims and caprices.

Alhaji Hassan noted that allegations which critics claim will cost the COCOBOD over GHc600 million, due to mismanagement and corruption were all speculations and somebody's figments of imagination.

He explained that where he stands as the chairman of the workers' front, there are no concrete facts to back the allegations that the COCOBOD will lose GHc600 million as a result of low production of the commodity.

Pointing to allegations of pilfering and selling of inputs, such as fertilizers, to cocoa farmers, Alhaji Hassan wondered why, such issues would be carried out, especially when all and sundry know that the inputs for cocoa farmers are free of charge.

"Mischievous people sometimes pilfer the input and sell it but when they are caught and found culpable, they are made to face the full rigors of the law," he said.

Touching on issues of huge debts hanging on the neck of the COCOBOD, Alhaji Hassan admitted that, as a semi-autonomous body, COCOBOD annually goes in for syndicated loans to run its operations, such as buying of cocoa beans, explaining that, it has strategic plans in place to pay off, pointing out that there is no cause for alarm.

"The Cocoa industry is living up to expectation, as the backbone of the economy, what stabilizes the industry is COCOBOD, we have to go for the syndicated loan to stabilize the economy of this country," he contended.

"I want to state in irrevocable terms that nobody should think that we are doing politics; no, we do industrial politics, we are part of management, and as social partners if things are going on what we need to do is to ensure to correct those things to push the industry forward," he added.

He pointed out that there is harmonious worker-management relationship, and that there is no political pressure from anywhere.