The government has inaugurated a new 11-member Board of Directors for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), as the country grapples with a steep decline in cocoa production, once a key driver of its economy.

The newly constituted board will be chaired by Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, a seasoned public figure, with members drawn from high-level positions across government and finance, including Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama.

Other appointees include COCOBOD Chief Executive Randy Abbey, Alhaji Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, Deputy Trade Minister Samson Ahi, Deputy Agriculture Minister John Dumelo, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, Nana Charles Owusu, and Eric Turkson.

The inauguration ceremony, held at the Ministry of Finance, was chaired by Energy Minister and Alternate Finance Minister John Jinapor. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Jinapor expressed deep concern over the current state of COCOBOD, noting that the country’s cocoa output has fallen drastically—from a peak of 1 million metric tonnes to just 500,000 metric tonnes.

“This institution was once a beacon of economic resilience for Ghana. Its current state demands urgent and decisive action,” he said.

Finance Minister Dr. Forson, who returns to the board under new legislative provisions requiring his inclusion alongside the central bank governor, lamented the sector’s recent mismanagement. He reaffirmed cocoa’s significance to the national economy, describing it as the “jewel of the economy.”

To help revive production, Dr. Forson outlined plans to establish plantation farms spanning 200 hectares and prioritised tackling the widespread issue of diseased cocoa farms, particularly in the Western Region.

In his first remarks as board chairman, Dr. Ofosu Ampofo thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the appointment, describing the role as both an honour and a duty.

“We intend to reset, retool, and reimagine COCOBOD into a centrepiece of Ghana’s economic transformation,” Dr. Ofosu Ampofo said, pledging to lead a reform agenda with integrity and innovation. He also encouraged politicians to set an example by engaging in farming to help attract youth into agriculture.

The board faces a significant task ahead, with hopes pinned on reversing the cocoa sector’s decline and restoring confidence in one of Ghana’s most vital institutions.

Source:TheDotNews