Meet the new Ghana Cocoa Board: 11 members tasked with reviving ailing sector

An 11-member Board of Directors for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been officially inaugurated with a critical mandate: to urgently reverse the fortunes of the nation’s struggling cocoa sector.

The inauguration took place at the Ministry of Finance, chaired by Energy Minister Dr. John Jinapor, who serves as the Alternate Minister for Finance. Dr. Jinapor congratulated the new board but expressed grave concern over COCOBOD’s current state, noting a slump in crop production from a peak of 1 million metric tonnes to approximately 500,000 metric tonnes.

However, he expressed confidence in the board’s ability to restore the institution’s past glory.

Meet the 11 members tasked with this vital mission:

1. Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo (Chairman)
2. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (MP), Minister for Finance
3. Dr. Johnson Asiama, Governor of the Bank of Ghana
4. Randy Abbey, Chief Executive of Cocobod
5. Alhaji Alhassan Kobina Ghansah
6. Vincent Oppong Asamoah
7. Samson Ahi, Deputy Minister for Trade
8. John Dumelo, Deputy Minister for Agriculture
9. Alhaji Alhassan Bukari
10. Nana Charles Owusu
11. Eric Turkson

Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, described cocoa as the “jewel of the economy” and lamented “massive mismanagement” in recent years.

He highlighted that the new COCOBOD law mandates the inclusion of both the Finance Minister and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana on the board. Dr. Forson tasked the board with addressing diseased farms, particularly in the Western Region, and outlined government plans to acquire about 200 hectares for plantation farms to help restore production to 1 million tonnes.

Newly sworn-in Chairman, Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, accepted the appointment as a call to duty, pledging a transformational agenda to “reset, retool, and reimagine” COCOBOD.

He also urged politicians to lead by example by engaging in farming to inspire youth.

The new board faces the challenge of revitalizing an institution central to Ghana’s economy amidst significant production decline and operational issues.

The post Meet the new Ghana Cocoa Board: 11 members tasked with reviving ailing sector first appeared on 3News.

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