The Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has criticised the government’s handling of the newly passed Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Bill, accusing it of rushing the legislation through Parliament without sufficient stakeholder engagement.
The Bill, which establishes a new legal framework for the governance and regulation of Ghana’s cocoa sector, was recently passed by Parliament under a certificate of urgency, a move the Minority says denied key stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to legislation affecting one of the country’s most important industries.
Mr Osei Nyarko said the Minority repeatedly raised concerns during parliamentary deliberations, arguing that the Bill should not have been fast-tracked given its far-reaching implications.
“The sad part of it is that when these people were passing the law, the Minority questioned them,” he said.
According to the legislator, the cocoa sector directly affects an estimated four million cocoa farmers and their dependants, making broad consultations essential before Parliament approved the legislation.
Mr Osei Nyarko argued that the process leading to the passage of the COCOBOD Bill lacked adequate engagement with industry players and stakeholders.
“This bill did not have extensive stakeholder consultation. That is one. Two, the bill was rushed under Certificate of Urgency,” he stated.
He questioned the rationale behind invoking a certificate of urgency for legislation governing a sector that has long served as a pillar of Ghana’s economy.
“Who in his own right mind would rush a very important sector that has kept this country together for a very long time under Certificate of Urgency? Who in his own right mind would do that?” he asked.
The Akim Swedru MP clarified that the Minority’s objection was not to Parliament’s constitutional authority to invoke a certificate of urgency but rather to its application in the case of the COCOBOD Bill.
He acknowledged that the procedure is a legitimate parliamentary tool but argued that it should be reserved for matters that genuinely require immediate legislative action.
“I don’t grudge Parliament. Certificate of Urgency is a tool of Parliament which is deployed from time to time,” he explained.
According to him, the strategic importance of Ghana’s cocoa industry demanded a more deliberate legislative process that would allow cocoa farmers, industry experts and other stakeholders to provide input before the Bill was enacted.
Parliament recently passed the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Bill as part of efforts to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework governing Ghana’s cocoa industry.
The legislation is intended to modernise the governance structure of COCOBOD and improve regulation across the cocoa value chain.
However, aspects of the Bill have drawn criticism from the Minority, which insists that broader consultations would have strengthened the legislation and ensured that the interests of cocoa farmers and other stakeholders were adequately reflected.
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