The Western North Regional Deputy Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Amankwah Asiedu (Osonoba), says the government of Côte D’Ivoire does not have any cocoa rehabilitation policy like Ghana, therefore, the NDC should not juxtapose the cocoa producer price of Côte D’Ivoire with country’s new price.
He stated that initiatives like pollination, pruning, and provision of farming inputs for cocoa farmers in Ghana are unprecedented and cannot be compared to Côte D’Ivoire.
According to him, NDC has no moral right to talk about cocoa because from 1981 to January 2001, they pegged Ghana’s cocoa at 395,000 metric tons however, erstwhile president Kuffuor’s regime raised the tonnage to 710,000 before leaving office in January 2009.
Speaking on Okyeame Radio Adekyee Mu Nsem, Osonoba said that the present Ghanaian government had employed 17,346 young for the cocoa rehabilitation policy.
Breaking it down per each Cocoa District in the Western North Region, he indicated that 1,774 Ghanaian youths are currently working under the rehabilitation exercise in the Bia West district, while Bia East has 2,222 employees.
The remaining statistics of the other districts are; Juaboso (1,850), Bodi (2,827), Suaman (2,200), Aowin (744) youths employed, Akontombra (2,380), Sefwi Wiawso (1,300), Bekwai (1,430), and Bibiani (619) people employed, adding that each employee is paid at GH₵650 a month.
