A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team has called for the resignation of Dr. Randy Abbey as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), citing concerns over his competence in managing the cocoa sector.
Senyo Amekplenu made the remarks on Saturday, February 7, 2026, during an appearance on The Forum, a political and current affairs program on Asaase Radio.
“He got it all wrong from the start,” Amekplenu said, describing Abbey as lacking the skills to handle the responsibilities of his position. “COCOBOD is not football, it is not journalism. He lacks the competence to sit in that position. If I were him, I would have resigned.”
Amekplenu criticized Abbey for engaging the media instead of taking responsibility for challenges facing the cocoa sector, which include over GH¢10 billion in outstanding payments owed to cocoa farmers and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).
The criticism comes as COCOBOD faces mounting pressure from Parliament’s Minority Caucus and cocoa farmers over delayed payments. COCOBOD has attributed the challenges to the collapse of syndicated loan arrangements and uncompetitive pricing that has deterred international buyers.
Dr. Abbey, who was appointed acting Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD in January 2025, has explained that international buyers are avoiding Ghanaian cocoa due to higher prices compared with other producing countries. He disclosed on February 6, 2026, that while COCOBOD has sold over 530,000 tonnes of cocoa for the current season, about 50,000 tonnes remain with farmers without buyers.
Ishaq Ibrahim, a member of the NPP legal directorate who also appeared on The Forum, criticized the government’s handling of the cocoa sector more broadly, arguing that leadership failures extend beyond the COCOBOD chief executive.
“You promised them better prices and adding value to cocoa. For me, I do not blame Randy Abbey alone. If there are issues of incompetence, it is not just him, it is the whole government team, including the Ministry of Agriculture,” Ibrahim stated.
He questioned the government’s use of global market conditions to justify current challenges, noting that the administration had previously criticized such explanations when in opposition.
Meanwhile, cocoa farmers have warned they could reconsider doing business with the government if COCOBOD fails to fulfill its statutory obligation to purchase cocoa beans.
Stephenson Anane Boateng, President of the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA), said COCOBOD must be fully prepared to buy cocoa from farmers or formally inform them if it can no longer meet that obligation.
“We know COCOBOD is mandated to buy the cocoa, and once I have produced the cocoa it is their responsibility to buy it,” Boateng said on The Forum. “If they are not ready to buy any longer, they should let us know so that we can decide what to do with our products.”
Boateng rejected suggestions that farmers should help design solutions to challenges facing the cocoa sector, arguing that research and policy formulation fall within COCOBOD’s responsibilities.
“They have doctors, professors and researchers at COCOBOD. Cocoa farmers are not knowledgeable enough to be giving ideas on how the cocoa business should be run,” he stated.
COCOBOD has announced plans to present a new bill to Parliament aimed at reviewing cocoa prices to make them more competitive on the global market. The institution is also exploring a new funding model that prioritizes value addition over raw cocoa bean exports.
