The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is milking the cocoa sector brouhaha dry despite government announcing sweeping new measures to deal with both short and long term.
This week, the party and it assigns paraded a number of it alleged sympathizers to demonstrate against the John Mahama government, calling on it to immediately reverse the decision to reduce price of cocoa occasioned by the dip in the world market.
The demonstrators marched the streets of the Western North Region, where the cash crop is gown largely, and followed it up with another in Accra.
They yesterday Friday, February 20, stormed the headquarters of the COCOBOD in Accra picketing and demanding to seek answers from Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Randy Abbey.
Despite strict security measures, they were able to flood the busy environs of the Board but when their request was not fulfilled, they opted to spend the night there even though today is Saturday and the office and CEO will not be at be available.
Clad in red arm band and placards, the so called farmers chanted and verbally abused the government and the CEO, for reducing a price of cocoa bag for the remainder of the 2025/26 crop season from GHc3, 625 to GHc2, 587.
The decision was approved by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC).
As late as 10pm, videos of them loitering around COCOBOD surfaced online indicating they were going to spend the night.
But the issue will not end without drama as some of the demonstrators have confessed that indeed, they are not cocoa farmers, and that they were enticed with financial inducement to be part of the march.
They claim that they were given GHc250 each to join the demonstration to fight the interest of the party. Spokesperson to the flagbearer of the NPP, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, is alleged to have organized the demonstrations even though no evidence has been provided to implicate them.
What is evident is that, Aboagye has been seen in cocoa farms assessing the impact of the reduction farmers and speaking to them.
But the action of the demonstrators have caught the attention of many on social media who have questioned the real motive behind the demonstration. Some social media users are convinced that, the demonstration is politically motivated because true cocoa farmers understand the issues however painful it is.
The Minority in Parliament has asked the government and the new managers of COCOBOD to take all the blame for what is happening, indicating what is being experienced is as a result of bad management.
They have already called for the removal of the CEO. The Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah maintains that, COCOBOD should have apologized from the onset to calm tempers.
But the Majority side has hit back saying that even though the reduction is painful and unavoidable, it was the only way to sustain the sector.
According to Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bolga Central constituency, Isaac Adongo, the over 3 billion debt left behind and bad policy choices by the previous administration.
Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has also reacted to the demonstration particularly in the Western North Region on the floor of Parliament.
Addressing a heated parliamentary session on Friday, 20th February 2026, Ayariga insisted that the protests in Sefwi Wiawso, Juaboso, and Bia West, do not represent the heart of the cocoa-growing community.
Instead, he argued that the placards attacking President John Dramani Mahama are being wielded by partisans masquerading as aggrieved farmers.
“Just because you think that cocoa politics is what can help your party, I can assure you that the demonstrators… we know their real motivation,” he told the House.
The chairman of the Finance Committee mentioned in particular the repeated procurement of jute sacs when the Board and they are still lying down at the port, when the Board did not need them in the meantime.
The demonstrators at COCBOD have been seen in videos pleading with officials to provide them with envelope to cater for the expenses they made while transporting themselves to Accra.
“We are 45 in number” one lady who posed as their spokesperson told and official.
The official who asked for their total number. After she provided the number, he then asked that they go back to their bus, sit down so he comes to address them. After they agreed, the woman then requested that “Give us something to eat, we are tired, we travelled from a long journey. Then give us envelop to pay for the VIP bus we hired. Each person was charge GHc200”.
By Gifty Boateng