KKFU President (left) with the other officers
KUAPA KOKOO Cooperative Cocoa Farmers Union Limited (KKFU) in Kumasi has elected its national officers to manage the affairs of the organisation which was plunged into management crisis in the past few years.
The newly-elected officers are James Agyekum Kwarteng, President; Ernest Boateng, Vice President; Cecilia Appianim, Treasurer and Samuel Osei Yeboah, Vice Treasurer.
Of the 284 valid votes cast, James Agyekum Kwarteng, who contested the presidential position unopposed, polled 276 ‘Yes’ votes, representing 97 per cent while his vice, Ernest Boateng, bagged 259 votes, representing 91 per cent, beating his challenger, Yaw Sraha, who garnered 23 votes.
However, Adams Alhassan, Mary Kosi and Patrick Awutey secured 157, 62 and 61 votes respectively to serve as Executive Members.
Owners of Kuapa Kokoo, who are farmers operating in various parts of the country, elected the national officers at its 29th National Delegates Congress (ADC) held in Kumasi on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
The delegates, who were made up of Zonal and District Officers from the 57 associations within the Central, Bono, Ahafo, Western North, Western South, Eastern and Ashanti regions, participated in the elections supervised by officials from the Electoral Commission (EC) and Interim National Executive Committee (INEC).
Speaking on behalf of the executives, James A. Kwarteng, in his victory speech, thanked the delegates for the honour done them and pledged the new officers’ commitment to team up and work extra hard to address the challenges facing the union.
While charging the members to bury their differences and rally behind them to deliver their mandate within their four-year mandate, the KKFU President also appealed to the members to collectively support them in the discharge of their duties.
He ruled out any temptation to witch-hunt or discriminate against farmers who used to support Madam Fatima Ali, former President of KKFU who was suspended for embezzling funds belonging to the company.
Mr. Kwarteng said every cocoa farmer has the right to rejoin the KKFU to make it strong, with a pledge to ensure accountability, fairness, transparency and democracy in his administration to move the union to a greater height.
Emmanuel Arthur, Managing Director of Kuapa Kokoo Limited (KKL), the commercial wing of KKFU, expressed his profound excitement and gratitude to the delegates for peaceful elections and appealed to them to support the national officers to discharge their duties effectively.
“The farmers have spoken and the election was organised by a committee headed by an officer from the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana. Everything was free and fair, and so I need to congratulate the farmers,” he stressed.
He expressed enthusiasm that the farmers have come together to reorganise themselves to ensure that the organisation works as a democratic institution.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Arthur has disclosed in an interview that the new executives have been advised to set up a reconciliation committee to hear the grievances and concerns of farmers who have left the union.
Executive Secretary of the KKFU, Solomon Boateng, tasked the officers and entire members to always remain united and shun parochial interests which would derail the betterment of the union.