Your watch could buy over 160 cocoa bags – NPP activists call out Randy Abbey for allegedly wearing a $40,000 wristwatch

By
Makay
-
0
8
COCOBOD CEO, Dr Randy Abbey

Some activists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on X have called out the CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, for allegedly wearing a $40,000 wristwatch at a time when cocoa farmers are crying for payments.

The NPP activists in a viral post shared a photo of Dr Randy Abbey wearing an alleged Cosmograph Daytona watch, and also shared an image detailing the alleged cost of the watch being $40,600.  

According to one netizen, Randy Abbey’s wristwatch alone could buy over 160 cocoa bags.

One of the NPP’s activists in his post wrote, “40,000 dollars for a wristwatch? Randy Abbey destroyed everything. Now the cocoa farmers have to pay for this🤦🏻‍♂️

For a very long time, we’ve not had any issues with cocoa and its prices. They appointed this man, and in less than 2years, everything is a mess. My goodness”.

“You wear an expensive watch to address the poor cocoa farmer on why you are giving them a painful haircut. May God treat your descendants how you are treating cocoa farmers”, another NPP activist added.

“The COCOBOD CEO’s wristwatch alone could buy over 160 bags of cocoa, yet it’s the farmers’ product price that gets slashed, not his salary and allowances”, one more activist stated.

Some other X users commenting under the post shared stated, “He’s the worst appointee ever. We all saw him on Metro TV. @JDMahama should do the needful because you cannot deduct 1kGHC from farmers who have already suffered and then sit there giving excuses. Does he even understand the hard work and sweat that goes into farming?”.

“It’s wisdom to know that flaunting wealth as a public servant will aggravate the public. Are you in a position to serve or flaunt your gold watches? What do you want to tell us”, a netizen added.

One more netizen detailed, “A probably 50+ years old, PhD holder, who had worked all these years and only got an appointment some few months ago cannot buy a $41K watch?….Just because your parents are poor?”

“The problem is not the watch but is that COCOBOD is a monopsony, one dominant state controlled buyer of many/all of farmers produce which they export. They control prices and exclude competitors. This must be changed and allow for numerous buyers from the international market”, one more netizen added.

“Most of us know Randy Abby has a very good taste for watches. He has been wearing expensive watches before getting into politics, and I believe you know his public status in Ghana before he got the C.E.O job”, a netizen added.

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has told President John Dramani Mahama to immediately dismiss the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, over the ongoing crisis facing the cocoa sector.

According to the Minority, the recent reduction in the producer price of cocoa will have serious consequences for cocoa farmers and their families.

Speaking to journalists in Accra on Thursday, February 12, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, stated, “… Respectfully, we ask the president to relieve the COCOBOD Board CEO of his responsibilities at this point in time.”

“The NDC government should absorb the cost of what they have done and protect the cocoa farmer, and restore at least the GH¢3,625 that they promised. This GH¢2,800 or so that they are promising is totally unacceptable.

“Already, we are receiving messages from cocoa farmers who say that if this is what is going to happen, they are going to demonstrate in a number of days. And if they do, we will join them on the streets to do this demonstration,” he warned.

See the post below: