COCOBOD staff denounce political interference in cocoa sector
Staff of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) have described as hurtful, attempts by previous and current governments to micro-manage the affairs of the board, explaining that such acts are detrimental to the progress of the cocoa sector.
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As a result, the highest decision-making body of unionised workers in the board, the Supreme Consultative Council, has appealed to the current government to continue to abstain from interfering in the day-to-day running of the board and allow management the space to operate.
The Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Hassan Iddris, told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on July 3 that his outfit had resolved to resist such interference should it crop up in the future.
"For now, it is not there and that is commendable. But if it comes up at any point, we will resist it. Government interference in COCOBOD's activities is not good for the sector and we do not want it to be repeated," he told the paper after an emergency meeting with the unionised staff on July 3.
The meeting, which was addressed by Alhaji Iddris and other executives the council, was to respond to recent reports on the board's activities.
It touched on allegations of the loss of about US$600 million cocoa money, skewed distribution of fertiliser and other cocoa inputs and the use of the board's facilities nationwide.
While describing those reports as sheer falsehood and misguided, the chairman, who has been with the board for about 30 years, said the public and the media needed to be cautious of information on the cocoa sector, given that misinformation could cause disaffection among staff and management, leading to the derailment of the gains chalked up over the years.
Cost of interference
In previous instances, Alhaji Iddris said the governments of the day had intervened to remove chief executives of the board, while directing others to skew certain policy decisions in their favour.
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These actions, he said, were detrimental to the progress of the cocoa sector, which is currently the second highest foreign exchange earner after gold.
On the impact of government interference on the board and the industry as a whole, Alhaji Iddris said previous meddling in the affairs of the board by government functionaries had stalled the progress of the sector, including leading to the diversion of investments into areas they were not needed.
The result, he said, was a slowdown in the growth of the cocoa sector, which currently serves as a source of livelihood to thousands of people nationwide.
To forestall a repeat of such incidents, the chairman said the Supreme Consultative Council, which is the umbrella body of the six labour unions in the six COCOBOD branches, had resolved to resist any government interference by working hand-in-hand with management in all future endeavours.
Fertiliser distribution
Alhaji Iddris also denied allegations that the staff of the board had skewed the free distribution of fertiliser to cocoa farmers to favour its cronies and that of the government, explaining that the exercise was targeted at all qualified cocoa farmers nationwide.
He said each farmer received the quantity of fertiliser that was commensurate with the farm size after the necessary measurement had been done by the board's staff.
He, however, noted that some people had been caught hoarding the product and would be dealt with according to the laws of the board.
As a result, he urged staff members to desist from illegal acts, including diversion of inputs and implements meant for the cocoa farmers, adding that the council and the board would not support any member who is caught perpetrating such crimes. -GB