Peter Boamah Otokunor has hit back at the New Patriotic Party, insisting they have no moral authority to criticize the current government over cocoa pricing.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, the Director of the Presidential Initiative in Agriculture and Agri-Business at the Office of the President did not mince words.
“They cannot act like saints,” he said. “If anyone should talk about cocoa pricing issues, it should not be the NPP. Who caused it?”
Otokunor argued that concerns now being raised about cocoa producer prices must be placed in historical context.
According to him, the previous administration under former President Nana Akufo-Addo failed to act decisively when global prices were favorable.
“Akufo-Addo didn’t increase cocoa prices until 2021, even after several public backlashes,” he stated.
“At that time, the pricing was favorable, and they could have paid cocoa farmers three times what they were paying them.”
“They were giving the farmers only 25 percent of the FOB price, and that was when we, the NDC, opposed it,” he said.
“We are saying that the best pricing index should be the international price.”
Otokunor maintained that pegging cocoa prices more directly to international market rates would ensure fairness and transparency for farmers.
In his view, the debate should not be reduced to partisan talking points but grounded in what ultimately benefits producers.
