Govt hasn’t managed cocoa sector well – Mahama

Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has accused the New Patritoc Party (NPP) administration of failing to manage the cocoa sector well.

Speaking during a meeting with the Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs as part of his campaign tour of the area, Mr Mahama indicated that cocoa farmers have not bee treated well by the NPP government.

“Just look at the Cocoa industry, they haven’t been able to manage it well. The amounts of money they went to borrow abroad were embezzled at the headquarters. Last year, the headquarters’ budget was 3.4 billion. And what they don’t appreciate about the cocoa industry is that when cocoa farmers are not well paid, you will be unable to harvest the cocoa beans.

“The reason is that the farmer has to know cocoa is valuable in order that he can take good care of it.

“But headquarters in embezzling funds at the expense of the suffering cocoa farmer. This has drained the our  cocoa sector,” former President Mahama said.