A Sunyani East Communications Officer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gideon Cheremeh Amoah, has criticized the Bono Regional Minister over ongoing anti-cocoa smuggling operations in the Bono Region, describing the exercise as a “publicity stunt” aimed at gaining political attention.
According to him, the Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboah (Esq.) has failed to provide evidence of any actual cocoa smuggling arrests despite public claims of a crackdown on illegal cocoa trading activities from the borders.
Speaking on ‘Ghana Nkomo’, a thursday socio-political show hosted by Akua Nyarko Abronoma at Sompa Fm-Sunyani, Mr. Amoah alleged that authorities did not arrest any smugglers but rather stormed a cocoa depot and presented the incident to the public as a successful anti-smuggling operation.
“The minister never caught anyone smuggling cocoa. They broke into someone’s cocoa depot and brought the cocoa out claiming they had arrested smugglers,” he alleged.
He further argued that there are no official records proving that any individuals were intercepted while smuggling cocoa either out of Ghana or into the country.
“There’s no record showing they caught anyone smuggling cocoa from Ghana or bringing cocoa into Ghana,” he stated.
Mr. Amoah also condemned the public display of suspects during the operations, cautioning authorities against actions that could damage reputations without due process.
“Don’t let us sit and tarnish the image of people’s fathers by handcuffing them and videoing them for the public,” he said.
The NPP communicator hopeful further accused the Bono Regional Minister of pursuing popularity instead of addressing the real challenges facing cocoa farmers and the cocoa sector.
“The Regional Minister is not doing anything. He just wants to be seen and become popular,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the NDC government recently announced the release of funds to licensed cocoa buyers who purchased cocoa on credit from farmers before the reduction in cocoa prices.
President John Dramani Mahama has also urged cocoa buyers to honour the old agreed prices and ensure that farmers receive the full payments owed them for cocoa supplied on credit before the price adjustment.
Sompaonline.com/Derrick Djan