The delivery of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President John Dramani Mahama was met with a dramatic display of defiance today as Minority Members of Parliament staged a coordinated protest within the parliamentary chamber.
The demonstration began moments after the Speaker invited the President to the podium. In a choreographed move, Minority MPs rose in unison, clad in somber black attire. They donned sashes emblazoned with the Twi phrase, “Cocoa Akuafo, yaye mmobo dodo,” signaling their stance that cocoa farmers are enduring undue hardship.
In an unprecedented symbolic gesture, the legislators displayed ripe cocoa pods inside the House, which served as a visual indictment of the administration’s reported plans to slash cocoa producer prices in response to falling international market rates.
The Minority Caucus argued that any reduction in producer prices would be catastrophic for farmers already struggling with soaring production costs and a tightening economy.
While the protest remained peaceful, the visual of black-clad MPs clutching cocoa pods cast a long shadow over the proceedings, highlighting the deep political and economic fractures regarding the nation’s agricultural policy.
By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
