COCOBOD Writes To ‘The Anchor’

…Denies Sacking Officers

Management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has refuted a publication by The Anchor in its Monday, May 22, 2023 edition, indicating that the institution has relieved some enumerators it engaged of their duties.

The Anchor’s publication, captioned “Bankrupt COCOBOD Abruptly Sacks Officers…As Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme Initiative Crumbles” among others, had said that the contract of the enumerators was supposed to end on June 30, this year, but a termination letter from the Cocoa Board asked the enumerators, “to take note that their contract ends on 1 June 2023 instead of 30th June.”

But, according to Cocoa Board, no staff has been sacked, but it is rather contract staff, in the name of enumerators, who were contracted for a period of time whose engagement has come to an end, that were served the termination letter.

In a rejoinder, issued yesterday by Public Affairs Department of the company, it said, the enumerators were hired for six months and their roles were to collect data and register onto the Cocoa Management System.

According to COCOBOD, the contract of some of the enumerators were extended and others were made to help with the first phase of the onboarding of farmers onto the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS).

“The letter from COCOBOD to all Enumerators was to serve as the official two-week notice of the end of contracts; which is a standard practice and must not be misconstrued,” the rejoinder by the Public Affairs Department said.

It noted that, before the end of the contract, which was supposed to be June 30, 2023, the enumerators were given prior notice by the Board.

“The point must be reiterated that prior to the notice of the end of contract, COCOBOD had informed and explained to the contract staff concerned, to make them sufficiently aware of the matter,” it said.

Below Is Published, The COCOBOD Rejoinder:

The Management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has taken notice of a misleading article in the Monday, 22th May 2023 edition of the Anchor newspaper which sought to link an official notice from COCOBOD to Enumerators about their contract to the country’s IMF deal and funding challenges.

We would like to clarify the situation and provide accurate information regarding the matter. The contract staff hired as Enumerators were issued six-month contracts, not permanent employment, and this was made known to them at the time of their recruitment. Their specific role was the collection of data and registration onto the Cocoa

Management System (CMS). In the course of the exercise, some Enumerators even had their contracts extended and some were made to help with the first phase of the onboarding of farmers onto the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS).

The enumeration and the registration of cocoa farmers for the CMS and the onboarding onto the first phase of the CFPS were successfully completed on 15th May 2023…More

The letter from COCOBOD to all Enumerators was to serve as the official two-week notice of the end of contracts; which is a standard practice and must not be misconstrued.

We find the claim made by The Anchor newspaper that “information concerning this matter is sketchy”, rather unfortunate, particularly, when the newspaper made no attempt whatsoever to reach COCOBOD for any information or clarification.

The point must be reiterated that prior to the notice of the end of contract, COCOBOD had informed and explained to the contract staff concerned, to make them sufficiently aware of the matter.

There was no need, therefore, to stir a storm out of a teacup. We advise the public to disregard the content of the article which is not only speculative but also misleading and avoidable.

ISSUED BY:

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

Source:Anchorghana.com