The Ghana Accountability Forum (GAF) has urged government to commission a forensic audit into the finances and operations of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), citing mounting concerns over debt levels, declining production and governance practices within the cocoa sector.
In a statement signed by its Interim Chairman, Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Forum called for the establishment of an independent committee to investigate COCOBOD’s financial commitments and management decisions, with findings to be made public in the interest of transparency and accountability.
GAF, a non-partisan coalition of civil society organisations, anti-corruption advocates, media practitioners and youth activists, argued that parliamentary oversight of COCOBOD must also be strengthened to safeguard Ghana’s most strategic agricultural industry.
According to the statement, the current financial strain within the cocoa sector, coupled with reports of rising debt and falling output, requires urgent scrutiny to protect the national interest. The Forum stressed that accountability should not be politicised but treated as a shared national responsibility.
It further noted that declining cocoa production—attributed to illegal mining, ageing farms, crop diseases and limited farmer support systems—poses serious risks to rural livelihoods and the broader economy.
The Forum maintained that as Ghana embarks on structural reforms within the cocoa industry, transparency and strong governance must form the foundation of any recovery strategy, given cocoa’s central role in the country’s economy and identity.
