Manager-in-Charge of Ghana Cocoa Board CEO’s office, Fiifi Boafo, has stated that GH¢ 5 million was spent by the Mahama government, not only to refurbish the guest house at Bole, but also construct additional facilities.
This comes after the office of John Dramani Mahama refuted claims that the former president influenced the construction of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana Research Station Guest House in his hometown, Bole, in the Northern Region, with COCBOD funds, for his personal enjoyment.
Mr. Boafo, whose boss, Joseph Boahene Aidoo, had created an impression that the facility was entirely built, agreed that it was built in 1975, “however, additional facilities are being built in addition to what was there. What was there was refurbished and additional ones [facilities] put up.”
Aside from the contentions, Mr. Boafo questioned if the past government would describe the renovation at a cost of GH¢ 5 million as prudent.
“Is she [Joyce Bawa Mogtari] telling us that GH¢5 million was used to refurbish an old building? Does she call that prudent use of cocoa money?” “Are they telling us that putting up that facility with Jacuzzis in Bole was prudent use of the cocoa farmers’ money?,” he questioned further.
Mr. Boafo said COCOBOD was going to issue an official statement on the matter of the guest house at Bole, and added that the “incessant attacks” from the minority in Parliament was pushing the current COCOBOD administration to come out “and tell the public that the Ghana COCOBOD as you see it is in a complete mess.”
The guest house claim came as part of allegations from the COCOBOD CEO in responding to allegations of mismanagement of the cocoa sector by the minority in Parliament.
He said the “penchant to siphon funds through inflated contracts was rampant in the NDC administration through ill-conceived construction contracts in the cocoa sector.”
As an example, he noted that the contract to construct a 50,000 metric tonne warehouse at Tema was not considered to be financially and operationally prudent at the time, because COCOBOD already had enough warehousing capacity at Tema to sustain its operations.
He also said a US$24 million contract was awarded to demolish staff housing quarters in Tema that were in excellent condition, “only to construct new housing facilities raising several questions about the motive for the award of the contract.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana COCOBOD, Joseph Boahene Aidoo, said government was investigating the withdrawal of $400 million dollars out of the $1.8 billion cocoa syndicated loan secured for the 2016/2017 crop season, between December 20th and January 2017, when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration had already lost the 2016 election and were on their way out of office.
The COCOBOD CEO says Ghanaians will soon know the outcome of their investigations into that transaction.
News Desk
