Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, delivered a forceful intervention on the floor of the Parliament, raising serious procedural and substantive objections to a government policy statement on cocoa sector reforms, amid mounting anger over what he described as the neglect of struggling cocoa farmers.

Speaking during plenary proceedings, Annoh-Dompreh openly rejected attempts by the Majority leadership to rule him out of order, insisting that such authority rests solely with the Speaker of Parliament.

He expressed confidence in the Speaker’s experience and judgment, stating that the Right Honourable Speaker is “wise and seasoned” and would fairly rule on procedural matters in line with parliamentary tradition and established conventions.

Drawing on parliamentary precedent, the Minority Chief Whip recalled long-standing practices in the House, particularly during periods when the current Finance Minister served as Minority Leader.

He noted that whenever sector ministers were scheduled to present policy statements, the leadership and ranking members were formally notified in advance and provided with copies of the statements to enable meaningful debate and engagement.

In contrast, he said the Minority and even parliamentary leadership had been kept completely in the dark regarding the current policy statement, leaving members unprepared to scrutinize its contents.

Beyond procedure, Annoh-Dompreh launched a scathing political attack on government handling of cocoa sector reforms, accusing the executive of bypassing Parliament while implementing what he described as damaging “haircuts” and price reductions in the cocoa sector.

He argued that during the period when cocoa farmers were “crying across the country,” government officials failed to come before Parliament to account for their decisions or explain the policy direction.

According to him, cocoa farmers from major producing communities such as Sehiyo, Sankore, and Koko Famese were left without answers while decisions affecting their livelihoods were taken behind closed doors.

He described the situation as politically revealing, stating that while cocoa farmers bore the brunt of price cuts and restructuring measures, Parliament was ignored entirely.

“When the poor cocoa farmer was suffering, you did not remember that there was a House of Parliament,” he said, accusing the government of treating Parliament as an afterthought and only appearing before the House when it became politically convenient.

Despite the sharp criticism, Annoh-Dompreh signaled the Minority’s willingness to proceed in the interest of parliamentary business and national interest.

He announced that the Minority would not further litigate the matter procedurally but insisted on setting the record straight regarding the legal and constitutional framework governing ministerial statements in the House.

He referenced Standing Order 91(2) of Parliament, explaining that a Minister of State is permitted to make a policy statement only if it is strictly limited to factual matters necessary to inform the House and avoids issues likely to provoke debate.

He stressed that the Minority would listen to the statement attentively, but only within the strict confines of the rules, warning that any deviation from facts into political argumentation would violate parliamentary procedure.

In a further procedural clarification, Annoh-Dompreh addressed the Majority Leader’s attempt to vary the order of business, citing Standing Order 67(1)(f), which already grants ministerial statements precedence over other statements by members.

He argued that no special application was required for such a statement to be taken, as the Standing Orders already provide the necessary authority.

He also reminded the House of a framework previously adopted by Parliament governing the format of statements, including length and font size, stressing that these rules apply equally to ministers, including those who are also Members of Parliament.

He insisted that the minister’s statement must not exceed two pages and must comply with the approved formatting standards, warning that no member of the executive should defy rules adopted by the House.

Annoh-Dompreh concluded by reaffirming the Minority’s readiness to listen to the minister’s presentation, provided it strictly adheres to parliamentary rules, factual reporting, and the procedural framework of the House.

His intervention underscored growing tensions between the Minority and the executive over governance transparency, parliamentary accountability, and the management of sensitive economic sectors such as cocoa, which remains a backbone of the rural economy.