Former Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso, Kwaku Afriyie, has launched a sharp critique of the government’s handling of cocoa producer prices, accu
Former Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso, Kwaku Afriyie, has launched a sharp critique of the government’s handling of cocoa producer prices, accusing it of lacking honesty, ethics, and moral responsibility toward farmers.
Speaking on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM, Dr. Afriyie argued that the controversy surrounding cocoa pricing is not merely an economic issue but a deeper ethical failure.
“This is about ethics and morality. Why would a government make promises it cannot fulfil? That is what makes me believe that the electorate and our cocoa farmers have been scammed,” he said.
According to him, political leaders owe cocoa farmers transparency, especially when making campaign commitments that directly affect livelihoods. He stressed that empty promises erode trust and damage the social contract between the state and farmers.
Dr. Afriyie further challenged President John Dramani Mahama’s call for a national “reset,” insisting that meaningful change must begin with mindset and institutional reform.
“If Mahama is talking about resetting Ghana, he should start by resetting minds and industries. It is not philosophy. If we reset our minds, there is nothing we cannot do. What we are seeing now is a lack of morality and ethics. This is pure dishonesty,” he stated.
He accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of exploiting cocoa spot prices for political gain while in opposition, rather than being truthful about how pricing mechanisms work.
“When they accused the former president of harming farmers, they never spoke about average prices or long-term trends. They used spot prices for political advantage. That is gross dishonesty because that is not what they promised,” he argued.
Dr. Afriyie also questioned the current relevance and effectiveness of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), suggesting that its founding purpose has been undermined.
“The assumption that cocoa prices will always go up is false. That is why experts are there. But they have refused to listen to them. This is not rocket science,” he said.
While acknowledging that price adjustments may sometimes be unavoidable, he maintained that any deviations should be minimal to protect farmers from global commodity shocks.
“Even if you must deviate, do so slightly, so cocoa farmers are cushioned,” he added.
His remarks come amid comments by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who has dismissed recent protests over cocoa prices as politically driven, insisting that genuine farmers understand the government’s response to global market pressures.
Dr. Afriyie rejected that position, describing the situation as a failure of systems compounded by politics.
“I know Ato Forson and Mahama Ayariga. They know the truth. They should come clean and apologise,” he said.
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