The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Dramani Mahama, has said the recent increase in the producer price of cocoa by the government is to influence farmers to vote for the government in the 2020 polls.

According to the flagbearer of the NDC, the government failed to heed calls for yearly increases in the producer price of cocoa from 2017 until the impending elections.

Addressing separate durbars at Bonsu Nkwanta, Mafia and Boinzan in the Juaboso constituency of the Western-North Region, Mr Mahama pointed out that the increase in cocoa price is to cover up the failures of the government in the cocoa sector and manipulate the voting decision of cocoa farmers.

“So, the increase is because election is near and the government wants to use it to influence the vote of farmers”, he said.

He said the NDC, if elected, will re-introduce the yearly increase of the producer price of cocoa to enable cocoa farmers benefit from their toil and restore bonuses to the producer price of cocoa.

Mr Mahama said if given the mandate again, the next NDC administration will establish a pension scheme for cocoa farmers to take care of them upon their retirement.

Mr Mahama also questioned the prudence of the government’s decision to abandon the cocoa roads project.

He said most of the cocoa road projects would have long been completed if the NDC had been retained in the last elections.

Mr Mahama said if elected, the next NDC government will continue those projects for easy transportation of cocoa beans.

He, therefore, urged the electorate to vote for the NDC in the upcoming December 7 elections.

For his part, the Gyaasehene of Boinzan, Nana Awuah Bonenka II, endorsed the candidature of Mahama, saying that he was impressed with the massive infrastructure development delivered by the Mahama administration.

He, therefore, entreated the electorate to vote for Mr Mahama to enable him continue with his good works and create prosperity for all Ghanaians.

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