A leading member of the pressure group Arise Ghana, Listowel Nana Poku, has claimed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey cannot differentiate between cocoa and pawpaw.
According to Listowel Nana Poku, Dr Randy Abbey lacks the needed expertise to lead such a sensitive institution like the COCOBOD.
The Arise Ghana man called on President John Dramani Mahama to immediately dismiss Dr Randy Abbey as the CEO of COCOBOD.
He labelled Dr Abbey as incompetent, adding that he had already been personally opposed to the appointment from the outset.
Speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem via Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Listowel Nana Poku stated, “I have consistently argued that Dr Randy Abbey lacks competence in cocoa affairs. He should never have been appointed to head COCOBOD. He cannot even differentiate between cocoa and pawpaw,” Poku stated.
“The President should have known better. He is in constant conflict with his colleagues and has stayed in the position far too long. He should have been dismissed long ago.”
Listowel Nana Poku further expressed frustration over the lack of prosecution for alleged financial mismanagement within the board, alleging that previous management of COCOBOD misappropriated $263 million intended for the rehabilitation of 156,000 hectares of cocoa plantations.
Meanwhile, the World Bank last year, 2025, warned that Ghana’s cocoa sector is facing serious threats due to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)’s persistent operational and fiscal challenges.
According to the World Bank’s latest Ghana Economic Update, despite record-high global cocoa prices, Ghana’s production remains weak.
The World Bank asserted that COCOBOD’s quasi-fiscal operations have heightened financial risks.
The World Bank warned that COCOBOD challenges, if left unresolved, will have a dire impact on Ghana’s economy.
Cocoa remains Ghana’s second-largest export earner after gold.
Global Cocoa prices are at multi-decade highs, with experts calling on Ghana to urgently address production and financing bottlenecks to capitalise on the recent market conditions.
In addition, Dr Randy Abbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has revealed that COCOBOD is drowning in a GH¢33 billion debt.
According to Randy Abbey, the state cocoa regulator is constantly under pressure from creditors, agrochemical suppliers, banks, and legal entities.
Speaking on Joy News on Thursday, June 5, Dr Abbey detailed, The last time I checked, that debt was close to GH¢33 billion”.
“I have to redo it now because the dollar components might go down as a result of the strength of the Cedi now. But that is the situation”, he added.
Randy Abbey further lamented, “Every day, I’m dealing with either solicitor letters or court issues. And it’s about people that we owe. We’ve owed people for four years, for three years, for two years, for a year.”
He further revealed that creditors are constantly on his neck with frequent visits to COCOBOD headquarters in search of payment.
“I’m sure that when you got here, you waited for about an hour. All those you saw leaving my office were companies that we owed. And the banks are chasing them. And they have also come here to chase us.”