General News of Thursday, 26 October 2017

Source: otecfmghana.com/ evans agye sikapa

COCOBOD funded Dr Opuni's mother’s funeral - Abronye DC

Abronye DC Abronye DC

The Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye has accused former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni for funding his late mother's funeral with money from the coffers of the COCOBOD’S Stabilization fund.

The Cocoa Stabilization Fund which was established by the erstwhile Kuffour administration was to ensure a stable cocoa price for farmers in the country especially in times when prices go down on the international market.

Minority earlier this week held a press conference spearheaded by the minority spokesperson on Agric Hon Eric Opoku at Bodi in the western region, to question the ruling government over what they describe as bad treatment of cocoa farmers.

The Minority observed that the cancellation of some ongoing road projects, challenges with cocoa mass spraying exercise and replacement of free fertilizers with subsidized ones are clear manifestation that government is pushing cocoa farmers into extreme poverty.

Hon. Opoku who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of sidelining perceived sympathizers of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the distribution of fertilizers.

The NDC MP, however, challenged the NPP government and COCOBOD to come clean on how much they have realized from Cocoa Stabilization Fund.

In responding to this, Abronye described the press conference by minority as a senseless, shambolic and needless which must not be given an attention by the media.

Speaking in an interview with Agya Wusu Ansah, host of Otec FM's late afternoon political talk show dubbed "DWABIREM", the NPP National Youth Organizer hopeful fingered Dr Opuni for stealing from the stabilization fund to fly his late mother's corpse to be kept at a morgue in South Africa for nine months, flew it back and paid all funeral expenses from Cocoa Stabilization Fund.

Abronye DC wondered why the Minority is questioning Nana Addo led government to account for Stabilization Fund whiles they know that the NPP government is just nine months old and asked the Minority to tell Ghanaians how they spent the money accrued from the Fund.

Mr Boffoe alleged that Hon Eric Opoku, former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister who is also the Member of Parliament Asunafo South constituency, is hoarding fertilizers meant for cocoa farmers at his warehouse at Sankore in the Brong Ahafo region and called on the security agencies to investigate into the matter.