General News of Sunday, 1 March 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comDirector of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, has alleged that funds originally earmarked for the education of cocoa farmers' children were diverted to road construction in non-producing areas. Addressing a gathering of farmers at Jejeti in the Atiwa East District, Dr Otokunor sought to explain the interruption of the cocoa scholarship scheme, a vital social safety net for rural agricultural families. Ghana’s cocoa buyers owe banks up to $750 million, raising fresh liquidity risksIn a snippet shared on X by JoyNews on February 28, 2026, Dr Otokunor alleged that the previous administration abandoned the traditional practice of awarding scholarships to the wards of cocoa farmers. COCOBOD reacts to allegations of sponsoring Black Stars amid crisis“We used to give cocoa farmers scholarships, but when the previous government came to power, they stopped and used the money to pay contractors to construct roads in areas where we do not grow cocoa,” Dr Otokunor stated to the farmers. His comments come in the wake of widespread agitation from farmers and stakeholders in the cocoa sector due to COCOBOD facing severe financial distress.

Source: GhanaWeb March 01, 2026 11:15 UTC