Former Head of Public Affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fiifi Boafo, has alleged that all top directors of the institution have been instructed to stay home on full pay by the Acting Chief Executive, Dr. Ransford Anertey Abbey.
According to Boafo, the move has seen the replacement of long-serving career professionals with persons linked to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), who are also drawing salaries.
“Do you know what Randy Abbey has done? He has asked all directors of COCOBOD to stay home with monthly pay, and he has replaced them with NDC members who are also being paid,” Boafo claimed in an interview circulating on social media.
He cited several examples, including Vincent Okyere Akomeah, a former director who, despite being on the payroll, has reportedly been replaced. His deputies, Paul Kofi and Frederick Amponsah Doku, were also affected, alongside the Directors of Finance and Legal.
Boafo emphasised that the affected officers were not political appointees but career professionals, most of whom have worked at COCOBOD for between 15 to 25 years and are still in their mid-40s, well below retirement age.
“These are not political appointments. Not a single one of them has worked at COCOBOD for less than 15 years. Some have served for 20, and others for as many as 25 years,” he stressed.
He warned that sidelining such experienced personnel could undermine COCOBOD’s operations and worsen its financial woes.
“The danger is that during meetings, these people could have contributed with their knowledge, but now they are home doing nothing and still being paid. Later, they will come and tell us that COCOBOD is in debt. How won’t you accumulate debt with all these payments?” Boafo asked.
Meanwhile, recent reports, including a World Bank assessment, highlight COCOBOD restructuring as part of broader financial sector reforms, alongside ongoing ECG overhauls.
