COCOBOD workers affirm support for Dr. Opuni

Workers of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in Sunyani have declared unflinching support for Dr. Stephen Opuni the Board’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The workers have also affirmed their confidence in the CEO in reaction to recent calls for his dismissal by a group of workers of the Sunyani Quality Control Division (QCD), a subsidiary body under COCOBOD, during the Brong-Ahafo celebration of May Day on May 1.

The workers said to be bearing placards with inscriptions to that effect took part in the recent workers’ day celebration under the canopy of Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU).

In a press statement jointly signed by Messrs Andrews Kyeremeh and Michael Asomah, Head of Special Services and a Union member respectively, issued on Wednesday in Sunyani and copied the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the workers disassociated themselves from the group saying “we did not know anything about the call for Dr. Opuni’s dismissal by those who had taken that stand because of their personal interests”.

“We are not members of ICU because following the ruling of the Accra Human Rights High Court early this year that COCOBOD workers had the right to form their own industrial Union, we brought all our affiliations and dealings with the ICU to an end on April 12, 2016”, the statement said.

It said Dr. Opuni was indefatigably working for the rapid national socio-economic progress because “under his administration the country is now benefiting from the cocoa roads rehabilitation project”

The statement said since Dr. Opuni assumed office as the CEO, the beneficiaries of the Board’s “Home Ownership Package have been increased from 50 workers to 460 annually”, adding that, “within the last two years 920 workers have benefited from that package”.

It said Dr. Opuni had also introduced “equity and fair-play policy” for the benefit of all COCOBOD workers because before his assumption of office clothing allowance was being given to all workers of the Board except Special Services staff, drivers and cleaners but now all of them had been included, it added.

“Dr. Opuni has our full support as workers, we have confidence in him and therefore he must continue his work in the interest of the Board and mother Ghana” the statement concluded.