The Board Chairman of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, has said the agitations by staff for his removal is largely because he has been very strong on reforming the the state-owned cocoa firm.
According to him, the workers who are opposing his transformational agenda due to their desire not change their attitudes want him removed.
During the May Day celebrations in Kumasi, a section of Cocobod workers wielded placards calling for the Board Chair’s removal.
They accused Mr Owusu-Agyeman of usurping the authority of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Joseph Boahen Aidoo. Besides, the workers say Mr Owusu-Agyeman does not listen to their concerns and does not have their interest at heart.
But in a reaction to the various allegations against him, Mr Owusu-Agyeman told Accra-based Citi FM that COCOBOD workers have been “spoilt” in the past years, which according to him, explains for the reason why the firm is in crisis.
“This is part of an entrenched mindset of the people who have worked with COCOBOD and I think COCOBOD is in crisis.
“There is a debt overhung of GHS1.9billion and normally when a business goes into such level of crisis, it either folds up or cuts the number of staff dramatically so that it can survive… But we are not cutting off anybody.
“We are trying to ask them to be more efficient because they have been spoilt over the years.
“These COCOBOD officers believe the world belongs to them. I believe sincerely the farmers who toil and sweat, if there is any benefit, must come to them.”
Source: kasapafmonline.com
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They are only thinking about today but not tomorrow ,Hackman please continue the good work and plse educate them as well .
My simple quote is when the masses have been polluted by the old order, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary. Why I am saying THIS. In Ghana, the very institutions that fresh graduates from THE universities and want to join are our institutions that are corrupt. Among these are the Immigration, customs, COCOBOD and many more. Look at the exposure of the CEO and his pedigree in Ghana and the rest of the world. The CEO wants to institute something that will bring the fiscal discipline into the organization so to benefit the farmers who are the producers. The cocoa farmers can have some pensions when the reforms are materialized. However, there are some elements who have benefited from the old order and still benefiting and have made their minds to sabotage the reforms and also do politics out from it. Let give him the opportunity to reform the cocoa bod because all the comments I read above have failed to tackle the main subject of the issue raised by the CEO but speaking out of emotions, rumour, hate, political and tribal lenses.
Hackman is indeed funny, he takes 25,000 cedis as sitting allowance and has also got Cocobod to acquire him a new Toyota v8 , as a non executive director of the firm hes not entitled to the firm buying him a car. Hackman is bad news and must sacked as Board Chair
Dear Staff at Cocoa bod, if your issue is the tier 3 funds? why should this be an issue with the board chairman, i know that the law says that any one who wants to withdraw that money before the 10th year of their contributions must paid 15% of the withdrawn amount as tax. this is should be purely individual basis. that means anyone can request part of the money to be withdrawn but must pay 15% tax.
Why does NPP leaders speak the way the speak. They are so arrogant. The president insulted Ghanaians for resisting Ghana USA deal, now another akyem is insulting cocobod workers.
Ghanaian should understand that, the money the staff are demanding is not pension,with pension, we have tier 1, given to SSNIT,which SSNIT pays as monthly salary after pension, and tier is to given to fund manager to paid lumpsum after pension, the one in demand which is tier 3 is optional, which also can be redrawn at time or left for pension. Before the tiers were effected 2015, COCOBOD already had their ESB, which we decided to migrate to the tier 3, this is the tier the staff are demanding, due to the fact that these Manipulative leadership falsified claim of crisis yet is clear to the staff mischievious deals which is going on underground. Cocoa Board staff has sacrifice without collective bargain and no increment for 3 years; they lost confidence in Opuni, but its seems these people are wolves in sheep clothing; they are worst than Opuni with the cunning and destructive deals underground.
Hackman should answer the 4 questions,the NPP APPOINTEES ARE STUBBORN
Disappointing Board Chair. Kindly answer the following questions: 1. How much is the current CE and the board being paid compared to Dr Opuni's time? Declare to the public. 2. Since Jan. 7, 2018 to date, how much has been spent on the board chair only,compared to other board members on foreign and domestic travels? 3.Declare the number of COCOBOD contracts you have allocated to yourself to date and other party gorus compared to other board members. 4. Is cocobod putting up/renovating a house for the Agric. Minister who has already been given a ministerial residence costing over Ghc600,000.00? Don't try to abuse this short term privilege as a board chair. It took the struggles and toils of uncountable and unknown number of Ghanaians including potters (Kayaye) to bring NPP to power. You had only 1 vote. Remember, Ghanaians in most cases vote based on disaffection and anger coming from unguarded, arrogant behaviours and statements such as this. You may have the political clout to display the limited power you have now to make people angry but there is time for every. For autocratic and arrogant behavior at cocobod, Dr Opuni has trained them very well. They say never again!!. You can choose to be the black sheep of the ruling government and the party, but would pay dearly for the collective goodwill of the government and the party. Don't you know you are living in a glass house? Don't pretend to be one of the modern angles, we know you from yesterday. Party executives, take serious note. These are some the things that the few appointed individual do in their various places that make your work very difficult at the grassroot. Don't allow such party members to take-up public offices. Enough is enough. It is not because of some of these things that that Ghanaians brought the change in 2017. May God Bless our homeland Ghana.
Hackman is a spoiled Board Charman. The most expensive Board Charman COCOBOD has ever had. You organise Board meetings at hotels when the institution has a Board Room and pay huge sums of money when you claim the Board is in debt. Pls give us a break.
The best is retrenchment. Lay off those lazy & ineffective staff & restructure the whole entity. The senior staff has milked Cocobod for years, especially the last 8 years. The company is in a colosal debt & the staff is claiming what? Ghanaians should learn to make sacrifices for the future & always demanding. They adjust their spendings in their families when things get tight financially & yet they don't feel the same way when Cocobod is in such a situation. Selfishness will kill us. This is the time we should tighten our belts & help take the country forward. The rightful people to claim their due are the farmers & even they are not agitating. The noise making staff should bow their heads in shame!!!5