Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has cleverly opted to talk about Kennedy Agyapong’s luxurious trip to Dubai for his 61st birthday party, but tightlipped on the numerous state contracts he is raking at the state institution running into millions of United States Dollars.
The Herald last Friday disclosed how some COCOBOD officials had been on a trip to the holiday destination on the sponsorship of the Assin Central Member of Parliament for his 61st birthday.
The trip, according to COCOBOD insiders, was a thank you gesture for the contracts that the MP has been getting from the institution, but shortly after the publication, the management of COCOBOD in a press release debunked the publication.
COCOBOD management also sought to discredit reports of massive recruitments of members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but again omitted the fact Farouk Mahama, who is currently the MP for Yendi was at the procurement department as a deputy.
The statement also failed to mention the transfers of most competent hands from the Procurement department and their replacement with other officials seen as less strict on procurement rules and easy to manipulate.
Meanwhile, The Herald in the coming days will start publishing the details of Ken Agyapong’s contracts at COCOBOD said to be running into millions of dollars.
Interestingly, these contracts are being doled out to the MP, who had been claiming he had gotten nothing from the Akufo-Addo government.
He had several times also claimed that NPP members had been ignored in the sharing of government contracts.
Details are beginning to emerge on Mr Agyapong’s trip to Dubai with his second wife, Christina, and some of his children. The MP’s trip with his family forms part of the celebration of his birthday which fell on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
Ken Agyapong and his big family were said to have dinner at a Bulgarian Yacht Club in Jumeirah Bay.
The MP was seen opening some boxes which are believed to be gifts presented to him by his children.
Some of his daughters were seen standing around their father as he opened the boxes with smiles. The video also shows rented Rolls Royce cars the family used for dinner.
After everything, Ken Agyapong got cosy with his wife and they were seen kissing amid cheers from those present.
This paper on Friday reported how some top officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board went to Dubai to celebrate the 61st birthday of the Assin Central Constituency Legislator who is reported to be reaping a fortune at COCOBOD in supply contract deals running into several millions of dollars.
He is seen as using this trip as a “thank you gesture” to some of the officials and also setting the stage for more deals.
Mention has been made of some officials in the procurement department of the COCOBOD as those on the luxurious birthday trip to the Emirati known for its expensive shopping, cruise ships, classy hotels and exclusive jewellery.
It is unclear, how many Ghanaians Mr Agyapong flew to Dubai for his birthday party.
The politician with 23 kids, is known for his vitriolic attacks on his opponents, including emotional blackmail on agency heads he needs businesses from until they capitulate.
Again, it is unclear, how many of his workers at Oman FM and Net2 TV, who are part of the birthday trip.
It is also unclear, how many NPP supporters whom he had always sought to be speaking for were on the Dubai trip.
Fertilizers and other agrochemicals have been named as part of some of the products that Mr Agyapong, had been supplying to the COCOBOD.
The Procurement department has been mentioned as having witnessed some heavy transfers with party agents made to replace them.
One official who until the 2020 election had a lot of power, was Farouk Mahama, son of the late ex-Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
He left to contest the Yendi seat on the ticket of the NPP to become a Member of Parliament. This was after he was moved from the Cocoa Marketing Board.
COCOBOD, shortly after the publication issued the following statement: RE- KEN AGYAPONG FLIES COCOBOD OFFICIALS TO DUBAI FOR HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY The attention of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been drawn to a headline story with the above-mentioned subject on Friday 18th June 2021 edition of the Herald Newspaper as well its online news portal.
COCOBOD wishes to correct the erroneous reports that some officials of the Board were sponsored by the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong to Dubai to attend his 61st birthday party.
We categorically deny that officials of the Board including some staff of the Procurement Department were sponsored to the said party. Again, the Chief Executive whose picture was used alongside Hon. Ken Agyapong on the front page of the newspaper has been in Ghana, and at work at the time the supposed party took place.
We, however, wish to state clearly that, no party agent has been recruited to the procurement department as alleged by the Herald.
We urge the general public, especially our cherished stakeholders to disregard the inaccurate information put out by the Herald which is all aimed at undermining the progress made by the Board in recent years.
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