How Former COCOBOD CEO Allegedly Left Office With Official Land Cruiser and Saloon Car
- COCOBOD’s Head of Public Affairs, Jerome Kwaku Sam, has accused former CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo of leaving office with two state vehicles
- He claimed Aidoo took a Land Cruiser meant for official field duties and a saloon car for Accra commutes after the NPP’s 2024 election defeat
- Sam also responded to Minority concerns over delayed cocoa farmer payments, insisting COCOBOD has resumed disbursements to LBCs
The Head of Public Affairs for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Jerome Kwaku Sam, has made a serious allegation against the immediate past chief executive officer of the institution, Joseph Boahen Aidoo.
Speaking in an interview with Adom TV, Jerome Sam alleged that Boahen Aidoo left office with a Land Cruiser and a saloon car belonging to the state.
Source: Facebook
According to him, the Land Cruiser was meant to be used by the COCOBOD CEO for official visits to cocoa-growing areas due to the poor nature of roads in those parts of the country, while the saloon car was meant for use within Accra.
However, upon leaving office following the electoral defeat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 election, he claimed Boahen Aidoo went home with the two cars.
"When they were leaving office, the vehicle meant for the official use of the COCOBOD CEO, the Land Cruiser, could not be found. If the Land Cruiser were available and in good shape, the current CEO, Dr Randy Abbey, would have used it," he alleged.
"The CEO's Land Cruiser is only meant for long journeys to cocoa-growing areas, especially Sefwi in the Western Region, while the saloon car is for commuting to the office. Do you know the saloon car Boahen Aidoo used? When he was leaving office, he left with it. Whether he bought it or not, he went home with it," he further claimed.
Watch the IG video below:
Alarm over debts owed to cocoa farmers
Jerome Sam made these claims while responding to a statement made by his predecessor, Fiifi Boafo, on Facebook regarding delays in the payment of cocoa farmers and other allegations.
Earlier, the Minority in Parliament had also raised similar concerns.
Addressing the media on behalf of the Minority on February 6, 2026, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, warned that delays in payments to farmers were creating hardship and threatening the cocoa industry.
He claimed that COCOBOD owes Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) more than GH¢10 billion for cocoa already purchased from farmers, leaving the companies financially constrained.
Reacting to these concerns, however, Jerome Sam disclosed that COCOBOD has begun making payments to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) to enable them to pay cocoa farmers for their produce.
He explained that delays in accessing syndicated funding forced the board to rely on international buyers to finance cocoa purchases.
“In fact, in November we made over GHS6 billion, in December we made over GHS5 billion, and even in January we made GHS6 billion. This month alone, we have paid over GHS620 million,” he stated.
“We are indeed paying monies to them (LBCs) for them to also pay the farmers whatever amount that is outstanding," he further said.
According to Jerome Sam, the delayed payments were not the result of COCOBOD failing in its duties, as claimed by the Minority.
He said the delays were caused by a combination of funding challenges, changes in financing arrangements, and the need to develop a more sustainable system.
The Head of COCOBOD Public Affairs stated that the board is working on a new financing model to ensure that the sector is better funded to prevent delays in payment.
Source: TikTok
Cocoa farmer calls out Mahama over prices
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that a Ghanaian cocoa farmer had caused a frenzy after a video of him commenting on the new cocoa prices went viral.
He expressed disappointment in President John Mahama's government for what he believed was a meagre increase in the prices of cocoa.
Social media users who took to the comments section of the video have shared varied opinions on the issue.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
