A civil society organization, United Voices for Change (UVC), has demanded the immediate dismissal of Dr. Joseph Aidoo, the CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), citing mismanagement and significant financial losses during his tenure.
The convener for the group, Slyvestine Ronald, expressed serious concern over Dr. Aidoo’s continuous leadership at COCOBOD despite overseeing substantial financial losses within the institution.
“We call for the dismissal of Dr. Joseph Aidoo, the CEO of COCOBOD with immediate effect. He has presided over financial decline and recklessness and has failed to fulfill his mandate of generating profit and revenue,” he added.
Highlighting alarming financial losses incurred by COCOBOD in recent years, Ronald pointed to figures indicating losses of GH¢161.3 million in 2017, GH¢78.22 million in 2018, GH¢320.57 million in 2019, GH¢32 million in 2020, and a staggering GH¢2.44 billion in losses in 2021.
“These losses, which began in 2016, are ballooning by the years, reaching GH¢2.44 billion in 2021,” he stated.
The organization also held President Akufo-Addo responsible for the consistent losses incurred by State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including COCOBOD.
United Voices for Change called for urgent measures to be taken to rescue the declining state institution, emphasizing its importance as a significant source of employment in Ghana.
“To make the SOEs function again, the CSO says all CEOs who are sleeping on the job should be sacked,” he added.