Who misled Akufo-Addo again? – Minority responds to cocoa claims

General News of Thursday, July 25, 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2019-07-25

Minority in parliament has been taken over by President Akufo-Addo and the ruling government in relation to cocoa production and agriculture productivity in Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo Whilst speaking on a durbar held in Daboase, the capital of the Wbada East District, as part of its two-day tour of the Western Region argued that the NDC government failed to sustain the gains in the cocoa and agricultural sector, chalked by his predecessors; the Kufuor administration.

Responding to Mahama's previous statement earlier this month, proposing that the Akufo-Addo-led government deserted cocoa farmers and they had spearheaded once they (NPP) elected office, President Akufo-Addo said;

"President Mahama came to meet a million tons, and yet, by the end of his tenure, it had dropped to barely 700,000 tons.Today, under my Government, it has risen to 900,000 tons, and yet you (Mahama You are going around, offering fake solidarity to the cocoa farmers, shedding crocodile tears in front of cocoa farmers, that you have done something to improve a lot of cocoa farmers.

"I want to hear from them what they are going to say to this challenge: we're challenging them to come and see what they have done that has boosted agricultural production, cocoa production in Ghana," he dared. "I can tell you the answer in advance; its zero, zero, that's the answer. "
Barely days after this dare, Minority members of Parliament have risen to the challenge to defend their own.

During a briefing Thursday June 25, 2019, Minority sought to find out about the President who had been giving to him the misleading facts he was churning out about the performance of their predecessors.

Ranking Member on Agriculture, Eric Opoku

"Where did Akufo-Addo president get his figures from? Who misled the president this time around? "

"President Akufo-Addo also made some misleading claims about annual cocoa production in Ghana. These claims could be the product of ignorance on the part of the president, or perhaps he was once again misled by his handlers. "

Minority reported that under the NDC government, free fertilization of cocoa farms was instituted in 2013/2014 and was repeated in 2015/2016.

"This game-changing program was culminated in Ghana achieving its second highest annual cocoa production of 969,000 metric tons for the 2016/2017 cocoa season under president.

"We wish to inform the president that the two highest annual cocoa production yields have been recorded in the NDC administration. The first highest yield of 1 million tons of cocoa was realized under the Mills / Mahama administrations in 2010/2011 cocoa season. The second highest annual cocoa production of 969,000 metric tons took place under the watch of President Mahama in 2016/2017 cocoa season …. "

They further noted how cocoa production has 'dwindled' under the Akufo-Addo government.

"We wish to state without equivocation, that the record of the Mahama / NDC administration far dwarfs that of Akufo-Addo government."

They also called the COCOBOD CEO to make claims against the administration and to prescribe them in the name of the President of the United States.