Debate Sparks Over $13 Million Payment to Fertiliser Supplier by Boahen Aidoo’s COCOBOD

   The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), led by CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo, is at the center of a growing controversy after its management openly defied directives from the Transition Team of the President-elect. Tensions have risen as COCOBOD continues to push forward with actions that contravene explicit instructions from the Transition Team, particularly in relation to last-minute recruitments, promotions, and payments. This defiance has sparked a conflict, with accusations that the current COCOBOD leadership is acting in bad faith to secure political favor ahead of the new administration.

The Mahama Transition Team, which is overseeing the transfer of power to the incoming President-elect, issued clear instructions to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to suspend any last-minute recruitments, appointments, transfers, and payments. These measures were put in place to ensure a smooth transition of power and to prevent the outgoing government from making politically motivated decisions that could affect the incoming administration. However, COCOBOD, under the leadership of Boahen Aidoo, has disregarded these directives and has continued with its recruitment and payment processes as if there were no transition in place.

One of the most contentious issues surrounding COCOBOD is the recent promotion of several individuals loyal to the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. These appointments have caused outrage within the organization, as many more qualified staff have been bypassed in favor of political allies. Several managerial positions have been filled with individuals whose qualifications and experience do not match the roles they have been appointed to, creating an atmosphere of discontent among COCOBOD’s existing staff.

In addition to the promotion of political loyalists, COCOBOD has come under fire for a large payment to a fertilizer supplier, Awo Henewah Limited. A document intercepted by Classonline.com reveals that COCOBOD is pushing forward with a payment of $13.125 million for the supply of fertilizer. The payment concerns a contract for 250,000 bags of Asaase Hene Fertilizer, each priced at $52.50. The invoice for this transaction was submitted by Awo Henewah Limited on December 9, 2024, with a letter requesting prompt payment.

Coincidentally, the letter was addressed to the newly promoted Director of Procurement at COCOBOD, Mr. Stephen Badu, who assumed his role on the same day the letter was submitted. This alignment of dates has raised suspicions about the timing of the transaction and its political motivations. The letter mentioned a notification of award that was signed earlier in July 2024, yet the payment request was only submitted in December, right before the transition of power.

Following the submission of the invoice, Mr. Badu forwarded the letter to the Deputy Procurement Manager, Mr. Seth Naggai Tetteh, who then passed it on to Mr. Maxwell Peter Arthur, the Principal Procurement Officer, with instructions to process the payment. Sources within COCOBOD have revealed that management has been applying significant pressure to ensure this $13.125 million payment is processed swiftly, even as the Audit department raised concerns over its legitimacy.

This sudden push for the payment to Awo Henewah Limited has angered other suppliers who have been waiting for payment for products supplied to COCOBOD and its subsidiaries for over two years. Many suppliers have voiced frustration over their long-standing debts, while this new payment to Awo Henewah Limited has drawn sharp criticism for prioritizing one company at the expense of others.

In response to these developments, the Mahama Transition Team, through spokesperson Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, issued a statement warning that all last-minute payments, recruitments, promotions, and transfers made by the outgoing government will be reversed once the new administration takes office. The Transition Team has emphasized that such actions, particularly those carried out in bad faith, will not be tolerated and that public officials responsible for these decisions will be held accountable. The statement further clarified that any actions deemed politically motivated or aimed at undermining the incoming administration would be thoroughly reviewed and reversed when the formal transfer of power takes place.

As the conflict between COCOBOD’s management and the Transition Team intensifies, it remains to be seen how the incoming government will handle these controversial decisions. However, the pressure to reverse actions that have been deemed politically motivated is growing, and the next steps could have significant implications for the leadership and management of COCOBOD in the coming months. The unfolding situation has heightened tensions and put the spotlight on how the outgoing administration is handling its final days in office.