Minority’s Town Hall Cocoa Politics Ends In Hunger; ‘Rented Cocoa Farmers’ Left Without Food or Water
A political event organised by members of the Minority Caucus of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Konongo in the Ashanti Region ended on a sour note after elderly participants were allegedly left without food or water for hours.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, February 25, involved individuals said to have been transported to a town hall meeting amid the ongoing global cocoa crisis and recent reduction in cocoa producer prices.
According to sources, some of the attendees—many clad in red—were allegedly not informed of the true purpose of the gathering until they arrived at the venue.
Some participants claimed they had been told the meeting was a brief party reorganization exercise and therefore did not eat before attending.
As proceedings dragged on, several elderly men and women were reportedly left visibly weak and shaken due to hunger.
Those familiar with the situation alleged that a number of those present were known members or sympathizers of the NPP in the area and were not active cocoa farmers or licensed purchasing clerks.
The event was led by the Minority caucus and addressed by the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; the Member of Parliament for Oforikrom, Michael Kwasi Aidoo; and the Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho, Nana Asafo Adjei Ayeh.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah attributed the cocoa crisis to what he described as government mismanagement and delays in payments to farmers. He urged the government to be transparent about its plans to resolve the crisis.
Mr. Aidoo also blamed the current administration for the challenges facing the cocoa sector, alleging that mismanagement had contributed to the government’s inability to pay farmers.
Other speakers included former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Post, Bice Osei Kuffour, popularly known as Obour.
He criticized the recent reduction in the cocoa producer price, claiming it had negatively affected farmers.
The claims and counterclaims come amid heightened political debate over the state of Ghana’s cocoa sector and the impact of global market conditions on producer prices.
Efforts to obtain comments from the organizers regarding the alleged lack of provisions for participants were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The cocoa sector has in recent months faced significant challenges, including concerns over producer prices, delayed payments, and broader global market pressures.
