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COCOBOD to address swollen shoot disease, over-aged cocoa trees–CEO
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) will commit more than a third of the USD 600,000 loan it has secured from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to address the problem of swollen shoot diseases and over-aged cocoa trees in the country, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Mr Joseph Boahen-Aidoo has said.
“We will also do an assessment of the problem and see how it had impacted the lives of cocoa farmers and their families and seek solutions to the problems,” he emphasised.
Mr Boahen-Aidoo disclosed this to the media when he paid a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa at his office on Tuesday as part of his three-day duty tour of the Volta and Oti regions.
The visit was to enable him and his entourage inspect cocoa farms as well as assess various crop initiatives, and the degree of damage caused by the swollen shoot disease on their farms.
Mr Boahen-Aidoo said so far, 300,000 hectares of the cocoa lands had been affected by the swollen shoot disease in the country, adding that the Volta and Oti regions were not left out.
Meanwhile, he said 3.6 million cocoa seedlings had been raised for distribution to farmers and that a total of 3,000 hectares of cocoa farms affected by swollen shoot were to be rehabilitated.
“This will begin to yield results between six and seven years”, the COCOBO CEO added.
In the meantime, he said, hand pollination and pruning were among measure adopted to protect the cocoa farms.
Mr Boahen- Aidoo commended the security agencies in the Volta Region for their ferocious fight against cocoa smuggling, saying “The recent seizure of a total of 625 bags of cocoa from smugglers in the Wudome, Ave, Papase and Kadjebi areas testified to their strong stance to protect the cocoa industry from nation wreckers.”
On his part, Dr Letsa said that cocoa was a national treasure and for that matter, the Regional Security Council would always protect the interest of the farmers and deal ruthlessly with the smugglers.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has revealed that thousands of tonnes of food supplied under government’s 2024 dry spell intervention cannot be accounted for after a special audit.
According to him, the audit found discrepancies in the supply of rice and maize purchased by the Government of Ghana to support farmers and vulnerable communities affected by the dry spell.
He explained that government paid for 34,000 metric tonnes of rice to help address the impact of the dry spell. However, records from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture show that only 24,000 metric tonnes were received and distributed.
He noted that about 10,000 metric tonnes of rice remain unaccounted for even though the full quantity had already been paid for by the state.
The deputy minister also disclosed that government had contracted a company to supply 100,000 metric tonnes of maize as part of the intervention.
He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture submitted Stores Receipt Advice as proof that the full quantity of maize valued at GH¢771.2 million had been delivered. The document was presented to the Ministry of Finance to facilitate payment.
However, the audit revealed that only 11,900 metric tonnes of maize were actually supplied and distributed.
He further stated that the Stores Receipt Advice used to support the payment was accompanied by a checklist certified by the internal auditor of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The findings form part of a special audit conducted to review government expenditure related to the dry spell response in 2024.
By Jacob Aggrey
Baba Jamal has officially been sworn in as the Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso East Constituency by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
The swearing in ceremony took place in Parliament on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, with members of the House welcoming him as he took the oath of office and oath of allegiance to officially assume his role as a legislator.
His swearing in was met with loud cheers from sections of his constituents and loyal supporters who gathered in Parliament to witness the ceremony.
Speaking to the media after the swearing in ceremony, Baba Jamal expressed gratitude to Allah for guiding him through what he described as a very difficult political journey.
He explained that the path to Parliament had been challenging but he was grateful to everyone who stood by him during the process, including the Speaker of Parliament and members on both sides of the House who welcomed him warmly.
The new MP thanked the leadership of the National Democratic Congress, particularly the National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, for supporting him and taking time to attend the ceremony.
Baba Jamal further expressed appreciation to traditional leaders and chiefs from Ayawaso East who came to witness the occasion, stating that he would work closely with them to deliver improved services and development to the people in the constituency.
He acknowledged the support of the media, his legal advisors and well wishers who assisted him throughout the journey, noting that their encouragement played an important role in his success.
The MP expressed special gratitude to his wife and family for standing by him during what he described as a very difficult and stressful period, adding that he hoped such difficult moments would not repeat themselves as he now focuses on serving his constituents.
When asked what the public should expect from him in Parliament, Baba Jamal indicated that his service would be guided by dignity and integrity.
He explained that he was determined to prove critics wrong about issues that had been raised about him, stressing that he had done nothing wrong and had been cleared by a committee that looked into the matter.
According to him, his victory in the by election showed the confidence and trust the people of Ayawaso East had in him, a mandate he said would encourage him to continue serving the constituency and the country with dedication.
Many of them expressed excitement over his return to Parliament and his new mandate to represent the people of Ayawaso East.
With his induction into the House, Baba Jamal adds to the numbers of the National Democratic Congress in Parliament, increasing the party’s representation to 183 MPs and strengthening the majority side in the House.
Baba Jamal secured victory during the Ayawaso East by election held on March 3, 2026, after polling 10,884 votes to win the parliamentary seat convincingly.
His closest contender, Baba Ali Yusif of the New Patriotic Party, obtained 4,009 votes.
Independent candidate Mohammed Umar Sanda garnered 1,885 votes, while Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana secured 43 votes and David Kanor, also an independent candidate, polled 104 votes.
In total, 17,048 ballots were cast in the election, out of which 16,928 were valid votes and 120 were rejected ballots. The constituency has close to 50,000 registered voters.
The by election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament for the area, Mahama Naser Toure, who passed away in January 2026 while receiving treatment at the hospital.
His death left the Ayawaso East parliamentary seat vacant, prompting the Electoral Commission of Ghana to organise the by election for a new representative to complete the remainder of the parliamentary term.
Before contesting the seat, Baba Jamal served as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria.
He previously held other political positions, including serving as the Member of Parliament for Akwatia and also worked in diplomatic service representing Ghana abroad.
His victory in the by election marks his return to Parliament and places him in charge of continuing the legislative and development work for the people of Ayawaso East.
