Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, has issued a warning to the Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri constituency, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, to stop talking to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) about buying cocoa from Ivory Coast and smuggling it into Ghana.

The warning follows the arrest of three suspects at the Nkrankwanta Côte d’Ivoire border, after they were found smuggling more than 100 bags of cocoa from Ivory Coast into Ghana.

Speaking to the media, the minister said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been instructing LBCs to buy cocoa from Ivory Coast because prices there are lower than in Ghana.

He claimed this would allow them to make more profit than buying cocoa from Ghanaian farmers, and would, in turn, help make the government unpopular through cocoa farm visits.

“One other thing we saw is that Annoh-Dompreh through their cocoa farm visitation, telling them those who buy the cocoa that when the government gives them the money to buy cocoa they should make sure to send the money to Ivory Coast and smuggling their cocoa to Ghana to make the government unpopular.

"I am telling those who do this especially Annoh-Dompreh that they should not tempt this in Bono Region again, let us think about this country because of positions that we will get we are destroying the country," he stated.

He added that, due to the increase in world market prices, the price of a cocoa bag in Ghana can now purchase about 2 and half bags of cocoa in Ivory Coast.

The minister made the point by highlighting Frank Annoh-Dompreh and the NPP’s alleged efforts to convince LBCs to buy cocoa into Ghana from Ivory Coast, rather than purchasing cocoa from Ghanaian farmers, which he said could lead to cocoa stocks being overwhelmed in Ghana without supporting local production.

He assured that, as long as he remains Bono Regional Minister, he would continue to expose anyone involved in cocoa smuggling from Ivory Coast into Ghana, especially in the Bono Region.

He further asserted that anyone caught would face sanctions, regardless of their position in Ghana.

“For long as I still remain Bono Regional minister if the smuggling doesn't stop the things I will do will shock some people in this country, those who have decided not to buy Ghanaians cocoa when the government brings money but rather Ivory Coast, prepare for me," he uttered.