News
Cocoa Arrears: blame game will not solve the problem – Prof. Bokpin Boadi
Economist and policy analyst, Professor Godfred Bokpin Boadi, has called on government to stop the blame game over cocoa arrears and instead focus on finding practical solutions to address the challenges facing cocoa farmers.
Speaking during a discussion on the issue at joy news, Prof. Boadi said arguing over whether the current or previous government is responsible for the problem will not help farmers who are already struggling.
According to him, governments inherit both assets and liabilities when they take office, and while they often take credit for the assets, they are quick to shift blame when it comes to liabilities.
“Government inherits assets and liabilities. We praise the assets but try to find excuses when it comes to liabilities,” he said.
Prof. Boadi explained that cocoa, like gold, is sold on the international market, and Ghana does not control its price.
He noted that the country only controls production and quantity, while prices are determined globally.
He warned successive governments against politicising commodities such as cocoa, gold, and other export products, saying changes in international prices can easily expose the economy to serious challenges.
According to him, the revenue from cocoa sales in dollars, when converted using the exchange rate, should be enough to pay farmers.
However, fluctuations in global prices and the exchange rate have created a gap between what farmers are promised and what government earns from cocoa exports.
He pointed out that Ghana is currently paying farmers based on a cocoa price of about 5,500 dollars per tonne, while the international market price has dropped to around 4,300 dollars per tonne, creating a shortfall of more than 1,200 dollars per tonne.
Prof. Boadi said the real issue now is how government plans to close this gap to ensure farmers are paid fairly.
He suggested that government could explore options such as using reserves, borrowing, delaying payments, or negotiating new payment arrangements with farmers to manage the situation.
“At the end of the day, the farmer is the one suffering. Whether it is the past government or the current government, the farmer’s problem remains the same,” he said.
He stressed that the focus should be on finding solutions to prevent further hardship for cocoa farmers rather than trading accusations.
The comments come amid growing concerns over cocoa arrears and rising pressure on government to act swiftly to stabilise the cocoa sector.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, Mr. Azouz Nasri, has arrived in Accra to take part in the Next Steps High-Level Consultative Conference on the implementation of the landmark United Nations Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans.
He was received at the Jubilee Lounge, Kotoka International Airport, by Ghana’s First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor.
The 3-day conference runs from June 17–19, 2026 in Accra. It will bring together parliamentary leaders, diplomats, civil society, and other key stakeholders to reflect on the implications of the UN Resolution for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
Organisers say the meeting is aimed at advancing a coordinated global framework to strengthen advocacy around the Resolution and provide practical guidance for its implementation across member states.
The Resolution is described as a historic step toward acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade and addressing its lasting impact, with this conference marking one of the first high-level efforts to move it from declaration to action.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Aspiring National Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awentami Paul Afoko, has stated that the party has a unique opportunity to annex power in the 2028 elections.
According to him, the one person who has been on Ghana’s ballot paper for several elections will not be on the ballot paper in the 2028 elections, paving the way for the NPP to properly market its flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is already a formidable force to reckon with and will go ahead to win the polls.
He argued that voters already know him, he’s battle-tested and ready to win.
He reiterated that the NPP will have a well-marketed candidate in the 2028 election and just as the party did in 2016 when it annexed power from a sitting government, the same can be done.
The Former NPP National Chairman, however, noted that this can be possible if the NPP unites as a unit and approach the elections with all the seriousness it deserves to ensure that its quest for victory does not become a mirage.
Mr Awentami Paul Afoko made this known when he met with Regional Executives, Patrons and Elders of the party in the Volta, Oti and Eastern Regions yesterday.
“For the first time we have a unique opportunity. At the time I put the New Plan for Power in place, we knew that the sitting president could go again and if he won another term, we would sit in opposition for twelve years.
We had to put a plan in place to make sure we come to power and we came to power. This time around, he will not be on the ballot paper and this offers us a unique opportunity, but without unity we will not get there,” he stated.
“As for unity, it is not negotiable. You can’t sit here and look at the lady sitting next to you and say I don’t like her so we can’t work together. We are working together for power, and if we let emotions get in the way, we lose” he said.
“Those of you who are old enough to remember Muhammad Ali the boxer, he is in the ring with you, he’s talking and calling you names then you get emotional and he takes advantage. Emotions won’t give us power. I didn’t get anything so I won’t support; no, let that go because it is in the past,” he noted.
Afoko, who is pushing his 3R Agenda of Reunite, Rebuild, and Recapture power, said the party must adopt a clear message to win back the confidence of Ghanaians and believes, with Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, whom he described as the right candidate will guarantee the NPP victory in the 2028 polls.
“For years I chose to work quietly behind the scenes, supporting the NPP in private,” Afoko said.
“But recent developments have compelled me to step forward. We need to get our party back into winning ways, and that starts with unity of purpose,” Afoko reiterated.
He framed the upcoming period as a test of whether NPP politics would mature or remain stuck in cycles of blame, but was optimistic that everyone who loves the party would come on board to realize the goal of making Dr Mahamudu Bawumia the next President of Ghana.
By: Jacob Aggrey
