A Ghanaian citizen has filed a formal Right to Information (RTI) request demanding that the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) disclose the internal decisions, financial data, and procurement records behind its recent salary reductions and the controversial cut in cocoa producer prices.
The letter, dated February 17, 2026, and addressed to COCOBOD Chief Executive Emmanuel Senyo Amekplenu, cites both the 1992 Constitution and the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), and covers three distinct areas of institutional conduct.
On salaries, the request seeks copies of board resolutions, meeting minutes, and directives that authorised the 20 percent salary cut for executive management and the 10 percent reduction for senior staff, which COCOBOD announced on February 16 as part of efforts to stabilise its finances. The citizen also requested the wage bill figures before and after the cuts, projected savings from the exercise, and details of any staff rationalisation, including the number of employees affected.
On procurement, the request covers COCOBOD’s approved procurement plan for the 2025 to 2026 financial year, any amendments to that plan, and a comprehensive list of all goods and services procured since January 1, 2025, including supplier names, contract sums, procurement methods, and copies of award letters and contracts.
On cocoa pricing, the citizen is seeking the legal, financial, and policy basis for reducing the producer price, including board approvals, financial analyses relied upon, and all correspondence between COCOBOD and the Ministry of Finance or other government agencies related to the decision.
Under Act 989, public institutions are required to respond within 14 working days, and any refusal to release information must be accompanied by written reasons citing the specific statutory exemption. COCOBOD had not issued any public response to the request as of Wednesday, February 18.
The filing arrives in the middle of a politically charged week for the cocoa sector. The farmgate price reduction, announced on February 12, has drawn fierce criticism from Parliament’s Minority caucus, farming communities, and trade unions, with the controversy showing no signs of abating.
