COCOBOD opens up on claims CEO carried chair in Tundra during National Tour

The Head of Public Affairs at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Sam Jerome, has strongly denied allegations that the CEO, Dr. Ransford Annetey Abbey, transported a personal chair in a Tundra pickup truck during his recent tour of cocoa farming communities.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s Ghana Nie, hosted by Ama Gyenfa Ofosu-Darkwa (popularly known as Embosourhemaa), Sam Jerome described the rumours as completely false and a deliberate distraction from the important issues the CEO addressed during his national tour.

What He Said

“It is not true that the CEO carried a chair along in a Tundra during his tour,” Mr. Jerome clarified. “Dr. Abbey uses his own personal car for official duties. I also use my own car. If you come to COCOBOD, you will cry for us. The only proper car here is a 2020 Land Cruiser. Most of the vehicles are old and registered under X, Y, and Z number plates.”

He added that critics are focusing on irrelevant topics instead of the pressing challenges highlighted by the CEO during his visits. “Instead of talking about the facts and rot the CEO highlighted during his visits, they’re making noise about a chair. Why, is Dr. Abbey a relative of Nana Addo to be carrying chairs across the country?” he quipped.

His engagements focused on improving living conditions for farmers, tackling smuggling, and reviewing pricing policies.

Despite the viral nature of the chair-in-Tundra claim, no photos, videos, or reliable documents have been shared to back the accusation. Public affairs experts have largely dismissed the allegation as “a non-issue” meant to divert attention from the serious policy conversations surrounding cocoa production and farmer welfare.

COCOBOD has urged the public to focus on the outcomes of the CEO’s community engagements and the agency’s ongoing efforts to support cocoa farmers across Ghana.