Clause 81 of Cocoa Board Bill infringes on farmers’ property rights – NPP
The Chairman of Agriculture Policy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Policy Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, has criticised provisions in the newly passed Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, describing them as an infringement on the rights of cocoa farmers and landowners.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed concerns over Clause 81 of the recently passed Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, arguing that it infringes on the property rights of farmers and landowners. Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture, stated that the provision restricts the ability of landowners to determine how their property is used, potentially leading to harassment, arbitrary arrests, and extortion if enacted.
The clause seeks to protect cocoa farms from conversion or destruction for purposes other than cocoa cultivation without prior authorization, which Dr Opoku contends is unenforceable and likely to be abused. He emphasized that such restrictions on private property rights, without adequate compensation, pose significant concerns and could exacerbate the struggles of an already vulnerable farming population.
The NPP has called for further scrutiny and broader stakeholder consultation before the bill receives presidential assent.
Brief written by urgent.news from Joy Business's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
