NPP MPs Steal the State of the Nation Show With Unique Cocoa Protest: Yayɛ Mɔbɔ Dodo
- Cocoa pods became the unexpected focal point of political drama in the chamber of Parliament on February 28
- Minority Members staged a symbolic protest moments before the President delivered the State of the Nation Address
- The cocoa sector has faced a crisis after the government was unable to pay farmers for the beans produced in the last year
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Every State of the Nation Address, opposition legislators find a way to protest the government, such as wearing black and wielding placards with special messages.
For the 2026 address by President John Mahama on February 27, New Patriotic Party MPs went the extra mile in their protest of the management of the cocoa sector.
Source: Facebook
They displayed cocoa pods and staged a protest over recent price cuts to farmers moments before Mahama began delivering the address.
Clad in black with sashes reading “Cocoa Akuafo Yayɛ Mɔbɔ Dodo,” the MPs chanted in the chamber, highlighting concerns over the plight of cocoa farmers and declining production.
Parliament shared photos of the protesting MPs on Facebook.
What is happening in Ghana's cocoa sector?
Reuters reported that some of Ghana's cocoa farmers have not been paid for their produce from 2025.
A revamped financing system, introduced for the 2024/25 season, shifted the burden of pre-financing purchases from the country's cocoa board to international traders.
Under the previous system that had been in place for three decades, the government raised funds annually via syndicated loans and disbursed them to the licensed buying companies, which in turn bought beans from farmers and delivered them to the regulator for onward sale to the international markets.
Source: Getty Images
Abbey has admitted that delays in paying farmers stem from the collapse of a syndicated loan that financed cocoa purchases over the last 32 years.
As a remedy, the government cut its farmgate cocoa price paid to farmers to spur more demand, and announced a new financing model for bean purchases.
Reuters reported that the new financing model will rely on domestic cocoa bonds, issued and managed by the Ghana Cocoa Board, with repayments tied to sales proceeds within the same crop year.
Mahama's comments on cocoa sector during address
In his remarks on the cocoa sector, Mahama reiterated his commitment to transforming Ghana's cocoa sector.
He said his administration would introduce reforms to transform the cocoa sector and guarantee fair prices for farmers in the country.
He added that the decision to reduce the prices of cocoa was painful but necessary to revise the producer price of cocoa to achieve competitive pricing and address acute liquidity challenges in the sector.
"So while fully understanding the concerns and protests of our farmers, I can firmly assure them that the reforms announced by the government will see a total transformation of the sector and guarantee them a fair price that enables them to meet the cost of producing the commodity and make decent margins."
COCOBOD slashes salaries amid cocoa sector crisis
YEN.com.gh reported that the Ghana Cocoa Board announced salary reductions for its executive management in response to ongoing liquidity challenges within the cocoa sector.
The under-fire board said the pay cuts will take immediate effect and will remain in place for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
