NPP Urges President Mahama to Withhold Assent to 'Rushed' Ghana Cocoa Board Bill

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has formally petitioned President John Mahama to withhold his assent to the recently passed Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026. At a press conference held on August 9, 2026, the party argued that the legislation was rushed through Parliament without sufficient stakeholder engagement, particularly with the cocoa farmers who are most affected by its provisions. Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, the NPP’s Policy Committee Chairman on Agriculture and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, emphasized that the bill—passed on July 30, just days after its introduction—requires broader consultation to avoid long-term damage to the industry’s governance and the livelihoods of those within it.

A central point of contention for the NPP is Clause 81 of the Bill, which the party claims severely infringes upon the property rights of farmers and landowners. According to Dr. Opoku, this clause restricts the ability of landowners to convert cocoa farmland to other uses without prior authorization, effectively granting the state excessive control over private property. The opposition warns that such restrictions could lead to the harassment and extortion of farmers by officials and potentially criminalize legitimate agricultural activities. The NPP argues that these measures lack a framework for compensation, creating a situation where farmers are penalized for managing their own land and making decisions about their crops.

Beyond the legalities of the bill, the NPP expressed concern that the new regulations could deter investment in the cocoa sector and undermine the rights of farmers. Dr. Opoku stated that the party would not support any legislative attempt to criminalize farmers, suggesting that the current bill's tone is punitive rather than supportive. Amidst these criticisms, the NPP also outlined its own agricultural policy vision. Dr. Opoku pledged that a future administration led by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would guarantee that the producer price of cocoa is never reduced once it has been officially announced, regardless of global market fluctuations, to provide farmers with economic security.

The NPP is calling for President Mahama to return the bill to Parliament for a thorough review and more extensive public hearings. They contend that because the cocoa industry remains a vital pillar of the Ghanaian economy, significant changes to its regulatory framework must be built on consensus rather than legislative haste. As the bill awaits the President's signature, the debate highlights the ongoing tension between the government’s attempts to reform the sector and the opposition’s advocacy for farmer autonomy and property rights protection.