COCOBOD must release our assets -Cooperative

Accra, Sept. 7, GNA - The revived Ghana Cooperative Marketing Association Limited (GCMA) on Thursday appealed to President John Agyekum Kufour to ask Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to restore their operating licence to enable its farmers and employees to go back to work.

The Association at a special general meeting in Accra expressed concern the fact that COCOBOD had not yet complied with a Government directive to return assets of the Association despite repeated appeals. Mr Daniel Kwasi Adusei, Acting Chairman of the Board of the Association, said the Association was adequately prepared to resume operation during the impending main cocoa crop season. Mr Adusei said the Association had imported sufficient new weighing scales and their strategic plan for 2006 to 2008 spelled out their determination to enter the productive area by producing maize, cassava and other food and cash crops as their participation in the President's Special Initiative (PSI).

Mr Adusei recalled the contribution of the Cooperatives since their establishment in 1928 and said it was the oldest cocoa marketing company among all the Licensed Buying Companies.

The Association noted with concern that it had, however, since 1961 been subjected to political interference by various governments, culminating in the confiscation of its assets, including cocoa sheds houses and bungalows for nearly 46 years.

"From the above scenario, we have been victims of circumstances beyond our control. This is a bitter experience for cooperative peasant farmers, who have contributed immensely towards the socio-economic development of the country before and after independence.

"Indeed, this was a death trap calculated to kill the GCMA from the cocoa industry at a time when the cocoa market is proliferated with small-scale cocoa marketers who are new in the system." Mr Aidoo reiterated the call to release the Association's assets to enable it to use them as collateral to secure loans from the banks. Mr Dan Boakye Agyemang, an official from the Office of the President, said the Government was not in support of assets confiscation.

He gave the assurance that he had personally been tasked to liaise with the COCOBOD to see to the release of their assets. Nana Kwame Kasapreko III, Omanahene of the Wassa Traditional Area, who chaired the meeting, recalled the contributions of the Association to education development through scholarship schemes. He urged the members of the Association to remove all bottlenecks to ensure the Association's revival.