By King Amoah
A wave of apprehension is sweeping through the cocoa growing communities of the Ashanti Region as farmers and opposition legislators have strongly indicated their disapproval of the Cocoa Bill that was passed recently.
Despite widespread support for the government initiatives that aimed at revamping the industry, stakeholders are expressing deep concern over what they described as a lack of transparency and failure to consult those who form the backbone of the sector.
A recent survey conducted by this website across several cocoa growing communities in the Ashanti Region revealed that supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are unconvinced by the rationale behind the new legislation
While farmers remain generally receptive to policies that promise to promote the industry, their primary grievance lies in the lack of inclusive dialogue regarding the Bill’s specific impacts on their livelihoods and the state’s coffers.
Farmers Demand Accountability:
In Manso Nkwanta Opanin Yaw Yeboah a prominent Npp affiliated cocoa farmer known locally as ‘YY’, has publicly challenged Parliament to clarify whether any genuine stakeholder consultations took place prior to the passage of the Bill.
Are they going to demand our dried cocoa beans for free as was done in the past when our prices were drastically reduced without our knowledge?
Similarly in Mampong a , farmer Kobina Adu questioned the fine print of the legislation specifically asking whether farmers consent was sought for the replanting schemes proposed under the Bill.
In Tanodumasi Akwasi Marfo took a harder line and reiterated that neither the government nor Parliament has the moral authority to impose decisions on poor farmers without their direct participation inthe Bill passage.
.The farmer warned that until the government and the President provide a clear and transparent explanations farmers will continue to treat the Bill with contempt.
Legislative Concerns: The Offinso North MP’s Stance:
The concerns of the farmers have found a strong voice in the halls of the Parliament. Dr. Isaac Yae Opoku the Npp Member of Parliament for Offinso South Constituency, has raised a red flag accusing the government of rushing the Bill through the legislative process to avoid scrutiny.
In his recent press briefing Dr. Opoku stated that the lack of engagement with the key bodies such as the Cocoa Farmers Association of Ghana, the Cocoa Haulage Association and the National Best Farmers Association has rendered the Bill highly suspicious.
The government cannot justify its decision to engage a single cocoa consultant to deliberate on behalf of all farmers while sidelining the actual unions and buying agencies, Dr. Opoku remarked.
He said as opposition MPs we are not against a genuine Bill.
However we demand transparency.
Insisting that the process was clearly designed to swerve the Minority and prevent us from asking necessary, tough questions.
On this note Dr. Opoku firmly called for the withholding of the Bill’s until a proper and comprehensive engagement with all relevant stakeholders are completed.
He argues that the industry’s stability depends on the trust of its producers, which is currently being eroded by the perceived secrecy surrounding the legislation.
