Dr. Ransford Abbey, CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has emphasized that road construction lies outside the agency’s core mandate, which is focused on sustaining cocoa production and supporting farmers.
Speaking during a visit to Assin Dawomako in the Central Region, Dr. Abbey clarified that the responsibility for road infrastructure falls under the Ministry of Roads and Highways not COCOBOD.
He criticized the Board’s previous involvement in road construction projects, arguing that it diverted critical resources away from its primary functions, including funding cocoa purchases, supplying inputs, and maintaining cocoa quality.
Dr. Abbey revealed that contracts under the Cocoa Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP II) have left COCOBOD saddled with a GH¢21 billion debt, necessitating urgent financial restructuring.
He also assured cocoa farmers that the Board is taking steps to combat the growing threat of illegal mining on cocoa farmlands, which poses a major risk to the future of the cocoa industry.
