The Chief of Pankese, Nana Dr. Boakye Darkwa who doubles as Akyem Kotoku Mponuahene and his elders have threatened to take legal action against Ghana Cocoa Board for breaching an agreement for the past 65 years.
The agreement between the Akyem Kotoku Mponua Traditional Council and Ghana Cocoa Board was to offer jobs to the people of Pankese and Mponua communities after a vast land was released to the Board.
In an interview with the press, Nana Dr. Boakye Darkwa, Chief of Pankese in the Brim North District of the Eastern region said Ghana Cocoa Board for the past 65 years has refused to fulfil its mandate as promised by their leadership when an agreement was reached for the release of lands for use.
He said the portion of lands was given to the Cocoa Board to grow Cocoa without paying anything, and even those few people who were employed has been laid off from work.
According to Nana, tons of cocoa beans are being transported from the area to Accra yet the community has never benefited from it.
Social Responsibility of Cocobod
Since its establishment in 1947, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has worked hard to sustain the Cocoa industry in Ghana. COCOBOD was established with a mission to encourage and facilitate the production, processing and marketing of premium quality cocoa, coffee and Shea nut in all forms in the most efficient and cost effective manner and maintain best mutual industrial relations with its workers.
In our effort to achieve the mission and objectives, we uphold social conscience, treat our farmers fairly and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with all stakeholders.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives are aimed at embracing responsible actions and encouraging a positive impact through our activities for our farmers, environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders.
Thus we have a corporate social responsibility to cocoa farmers, the media, Government, Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), our clients, the general public and the world in which we operate.
