The Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD has dismissed viral claims that the cocoa regulator used funds meant for farmers to purchase four Land Cruisers and over 100 pickup vehicles, describing the posts as deliberately misleading and aimed at inciting cocoa farmers.
According to the Dr. Randy Abbey, the vehicles were procured using internally generated funds (IGF) from the Sample Residue Fund proceeds from cocoa quality sampling and not from syndicated loans, government budget allocations, or money meant for cocoa purchases.
He explained that upon assuming office in January last year, he found COCOBOD’s operational vehicle fleet in a deplorable state across cocoa-growing districts, with over 70 per cent of existing vehicles declared aged and unserviceable
Following a nationwide tour of 74 cocoa districts, staff consistently raised the lack of operational vehicles as a major obstacle to extension services, quality control, research activities, and seed production.
COCOBOD’s subsidiaries and divisions, which collectively employ over 18,000 permanent and casual staff, subsequently requested more than 300 operational vehicles, including pickups, buses, water tankers, tractors, and trucks, to support field operations.
The CEO said instead of using the IGF for official vehicles for directors and managers as done in the past, management redirected the funds toward retooling operational units over a three-year period.
So far, about 22 pickup vehicles have been delivered, including those presented to the National Best Cocoa Farmer and the Bunsu Cocoa College during recent events.
He stressed that no money intended for farmer payments had been diverted, noting that cocoa purchases are funded directly by buyers under separate financing arrangements.
“This decision was about enabling our staff to work effectively across cocoa-growing areas.
Without these operational vehicles, extension services, quality assurance, and research would suffer. He said
Story by Osman Issah Abadoo
