A well-orchestrated plan by the Minority in Parliament to exploit the pressing issues in the cocoa sector, was shot down as President John Dramani Mahama visibly ignored the side.
The President arrived in the Chamber before 10am on Friday February 27, to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SoNA).
Before he was invited to address the House, the Speaker sought permission to recognize dignitaries and invited guests which included the Vice President, Chief Justice, First Lady, former President John Kufuor and many others including the diplomatic corps.
After seeing to this, Alban Sumana Bagbin, invited the President to the stage to address the nation.
But before this, the Majority side who were in all white attires, rose and sung one of National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 popular campaign songs titled, ‘24-hour economy’ which say in Twi “— “Ɔde asɛmpa na aba oo, Ɔde asɛmpa na aba ooo” — meaning “He has brought good news.”
Before they could end the song, their counterparts on the Minority side, also stood and clad in all black outfits, countered with chants.
They each held in their hands, one pod of cocoa and brandish in the presence of the President, to show their disappointment in his government’s decision to reduce the price of a bag of cocoa.
In summary, their song was that, they told Ghanaians that President Mahama will reduce price of cocoa and he has done that.
President Mahama who was at this time on his feet did not waste time as he started addressing the house with his opening remarks.
The minority were not done yet done singling but he bulldozed his way amid the singing and so the group had no choice but to resume their seats.
They remained quiet unlike their counterparts who cheered the president on intermittently, until the President was done with his submission.
Their action some say is the continuation of what their mother party, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been projecting in the public space after they allegedly organized their members, disguised as cocoa farmers, to demonstrate in the Western North Region, and at the headquarters of the COCOBOD in Accra.
Touching on the cocoa brouhaha, the president said it was a hard decision his administration had to take.
He said he did not want to borrow and burden the economy with more debts reason he had to reduce the price as happening internationally.
He maintained that, it was prudent to reduce the price so that the general Ghanaian population is not made to suffer in the near future as happened few years ago.
The new measures announced by government through the Minister for Finance, Dr Ato Forson, he assured.
“I can firmly assure them that the reforms announced by government will see a total transformation of the cocoa sector.
It will guarantee them a fair and a transparent price that enables them to meet the cost of producing the commodity and making decent margins. The difference between an economic hardship and avoiding the same is the exercise of sound economic judgment. And I am determined to take decisions that ensure our collective well being and avoid the suffering of all our people. These are hard decisions but Mr Speaker, I had to take them”, he said.
More soon!
By Gifty Boateng