A brewing disquiet at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) may erupt into something nasty as outgoing management, led by Joseph Boahen Aidoo, undertakes a controversial promotional exercise that has sparked a backlash from staff and political observers. 

The exercise, which commenced on Monday, December 9, 2024, seeks to promote approximately 100 staff members, many of whom are perceived to be unqualified but aligned with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Traditionally, COCOBOD’s promotional processes span five to seven months, allowing adequate time for interviews, committee reviews, and the issuance of promotion letters to deserving staff. 

However, the current process is being expedited, with management reportedly aiming to finalize promotions within two weeks.

This has raised concerns among staff and political stakeholders who view the exercise as an attempt to reward political loyalists before the transition to a new government.

The NPP is set to hand over power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on January 7, 2025, following the latter’s electoral victory.

Interestingly, in an intriguing move, the promotional process has also included staff who were interviewed but whose promotions were denied in recent months over suspicions of their affiliation with the NDC.

This decision has deepened suspicions that the exercise is politically motivated rather than merit-based.

Leading members of the NDC, expected to form the next government, have decried the promotional process as dubious.

They have issued a stern warning to the Joseph Boahen-led management to halt the exercise, cautioning that any appointments deemed politically influenced will be reversed once the NDC assumes office.

“The outgoing management must desist from actions that could tie the hands of the incoming government. Promotions should be based on merit, not political loyalty,” a senior NDC official remarked.

Concerns Over Precedents

The rushed timeline and lack of adherence to established procedures have added to the unease.

Typically, a review committee is set up after the interviews to scrutinize the results.

That process alone takes over three months to complete.

Only then are successful candidates issued promotion letters by management after everything has been finalized – this often takes three extra months.

The abrupt deviation from this precedent has fueled allegations of impropriety.

The developments have created an uneasy calm among COCOBOD staff.

While some are hopeful of promotions, others express frustration over what they perceive as favouritism and political interference.

Observers warn that if unresolved, the issue could create friction between the outgoing and incoming administrations and affect the morale and performance of the organization.

With the NDC’s vow to reverse politically influenced promotions, the coming months are likely to test the resilience of COCOBOD’s internal structures and the integrity of its management practices.