The presidential campaign office of Dr. Bryan Acheampong, former Minister for Food and Agriculture, has rejected claims by former COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boahen Aidoo over the origins of the government’s cocoa syndication reform.
In a statement issued by the campaign’s communications directorate, Dr. Acheampong was credited with leading the policy shift that ended Ghana’s 32-year reliance on offshore syndicated loans for cocoa financing.
The office described Mr. Aidoo’s recent comments as contradictory and an attempt to downplay what it called a landmark reform under the Akufo-Addo administration.
The statement emphasized that as sector minister, Dr. Acheampong formally presented the Cabinet memorandum recommending the cancellation of the syndicated cocoa loan and publicly announced the new financing model.
The office further highlighted that under his leadership, the producer price of cocoa was increased by 278 percent—from GH¢800 in 2022 to GH¢3,100 in 2024—calling it an unprecedented move that directly benefited farmers.
“Mr. Aidoo’s claim that he is ‘now hearing that Bryan clandestinely presented the idea to Cabinet’ raises serious questions about his own awareness and involvement in a policy he simultaneously claims to have authored,” the statement said.
It added that Dr. Acheampong’s role in initiating, announcing, and implementing the reform demonstrated ministerial leadership and public accountability, dismissing suggestions that he had opposed the policy.
The campaign also stressed that in Ghana’s governance structure, sector ministers hold the constitutional mandate to initiate and implement policies, while the President sets the national vision and approves Cabinet decisions. It drew parallels with other flagship policies such as Free SHS, One District One Factory, and Ghana’s digital transformation, all credited to their respective ministers.
According to the statement, the new cocoa financing model, which requires international buyers to make upfront payments, has already secured over $4 billion in deposits for Ghana, a move the campaign described as both pragmatic and visionary.
Questioning Mr. Aidoo’s record, the campaign asked why the syndicated loan system was not cancelled during his eight-year tenure at COCOBOD.
“Is it sheer coincidence that it was implemented only when Dr. Bryan Acheampong became Minister?” the statement queried.
While underscoring Dr. Acheampong’s role, the campaign called for the reform to be celebrated as a collective achievement of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the nation at large, rather than a subject of internal disputes.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
