Bags of cocoa beans on a truck
The Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, has alleged that a significant portion of jute sacks meant for cocoa packaging was left unused at Ghana’s ports.
According to him, out of 286,000 bales of jute sacks available, only 91,000 were cleared.
He further revealed that just days before leaving office, the previous COCOBOD administration paid contractors GH¢48 million to procure an additional 80,000 bales of sacks, despite the large stockpile already at the ports.
Adongo accused officials under the Akufo-Addo government of failing to properly manage critical logistics at COCOBOD, describing the move as reckless.
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Speaking to journalists in Accra, he said, “When COCOBOD had 286,000 bales of jute sacks at the ports, they cleared only 91,000 and left the rest at the ports. Just a few days before they were leaving office, they contracted someone and paid GH¢48 million to bring in 80,000 bales of jute sacks. These are reckless people.”
He further criticised what he described as a culture of mismanagement and deception, arguing that such practices deprived cocoa farmers of resources that could have supported them during difficult times.
“If it were possible in the days that we were whipping people, these are the people we have to line up and tell cocoa farmers that it is the conduct of these people that denied the government of Ghana the resources to properly take care of you at this point in time,” he added.
Adongo said these failures have necessitated reforms introduced under the Mahama-led administration, aimed at stabilising cocoa production and restoring confidence in the sector.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com
