The Member of Parliament for the Manso Adubia Constituency, Yaw Frimpong Addo, has asserted that President John Dramani Mahama should have returned the controversial Cocobod Bill to Parliament under a Motion of Rescission.
According to him, the bill passed by Parliament and subsequently assented to by the President was fundamentally defective and ought to have been rejected.
He noted that the new legislation, which repeals the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), introduces sweeping changes to the governance and regulation of the cocoa sector. Consequently, he argued, it required far broader stakeholder consultations prior to its passage.
The lawmaker emphasized that given the significant implications for the cocoa industry, the bill should not have been passed or signed into law without adequately engaging the farmers and key industry players who are directly affected.
“President John Dramani Mahama should have returned the bill to Parliament and had it rebooted under a Motion of Rescission. There is a provision in the law that restricts the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorisation. This provision will limit farmers’ ability to manage their farms, particularly when dealing with diseased, unproductive, or old cocoa trees,” he stated.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the MP stressed that formulating any law that impacts the daily activities of cocoa farmers necessitates extensive consultation before enactment.
He further observed that the cocoa sector operates much like a public-private partnership, but expressed concern that the government is unilaterally dictating terms to farmers, which formed the core of the objections raised by the Minority.
“The ruling government should have listened so that we could have taken a look at the law again and improved on some of the provisions that were defective,” he added.
Hon. Frimpong Addo noted that there was no justification for rushing the legislation through Parliament, accusing politicians of consistently making unrealistic promises during election campaigns.
He warned that such practices are damaging to the nation, recalling previous promises by the government to increase the price of cocoa to GH¢6,000 or GH¢7,000 while accusing the former administration of cheating farmers, only for reality to set in.
He stated that the final straw for farmers was the eventual reduction in cocoa prices, marking a sharp departure from the promises made by the NDC while in opposition.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
