Kofi Bentil: Collapse COCOBOD to Save Cocoa Farmers
Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has strongly criticized the management of Ghana’s cocoa sector, arguing that the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has shifted from being a support system for farmers to becoming a financial burden on them. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Bentil said the institution has strayed far from its founding purpose and now primarily serves a bloated bureaucracy rather than the hardworking farmers sustaining the industry. Bentil drew a sharp contrast between Ghana’s past and present use of cocoa resources. He recalled that the University of Ghana was built from cocoa revenues. A portion of money from each cocoa bag was allocated to fund the project, leading to the establishment of Akuafo Hall, a landmark tribute to farmers’ contributions. This, he said, showed how cocoa income was once strategically used for nation-building. Bentil lamented that today’s cocoa system […]