Mahama rubbishes COCOBOD Chief’s claims

Claims made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) Joseph Boahen Aidoo that former president John Mahama financed the building of a guest house in his hometown, Bole is false, his office has said.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Aidoo said Mr Mahama – while president influenced the award of a contract to construct the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) Research Station Guest House at Bole in the Northern Region.

This, the former Western Region Minister said, was “to enable him enjoy comfortable holidays during visits to his constituency”. But a statement issued by Special Aide to Mr Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, said “for the avoidance of doubt, the Office of the Former President wishes to state that this claim is false”.

According to the statement issued on Thursday, the CRIG guest house has been in existence since 1975 “and could not possibly have been constructed during the tenure of President Mahama”.

“The assertion therefore that he influenced its construction is also false,” it stressed. The guest house is confirmed to have, however, been renovated during the presidency of Mr Mahama but his office says such a move could not have been influenced by him.

“A decision by the Board of COCOBOD to renovate the facility, after many years of use cannot be needless, and does not require the influence of the President of the Republic, as he then was.”

The statement took exception to some of the recent pronouncements of the Cocobod CEO, saying: “Such an unwholesome practice will only serve to detract from the important business of managing the Cocoa sector which is the lifeblood of the Ghanaian economy”.

“The Office [of Former President Mahama] wishes to encourage Mr Boahen Aidoo to pay greater attention to discharging the weighty responsibility entrusted to him devoid of unnecessary partisanship and mudslinging.”