Minority Members of Parliament, led by the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, on Sunday paid a courtesy call on the Offinsomanhene, Nana Dwamena Akenten II, and the Queenmother, Nana Adwoa Afranewaa III, during the Akwasidae celebration in Offinso in the Ashanti Region.
The visit was to seek the blessings of the traditional leaders ahead of a week-long tour of cocoa-growing communities in the region.
According to the delegation, the tour is aimed at engaging cocoa farmers to better understand their concerns, particularly regarding recent producer price reductions, often described by farmers as “cocoa price haircuts.”
The MPs said the exercise would enable them to gather firsthand information from farmers and represent their concerns in the Parliament of Ghana.
They also indicated that after the tour, they plan to formally brief the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on the issues raised by cocoa farmers across the region.
Receiving the delegation, Nana Dwamena Akenten II welcomed the MPs and encouraged them to approach the concerns of farmers with fairness and a national outlook.
He cautioned against excessive partisan politics, stressing that the welfare of cocoa farmers should remain a priority for the country.
The Ashanti Region engagement follows a similar exercise undertaken earlier by the Minority in the Eastern Region, where MPs visited cocoa-growing communities to assess the impact of falling producer prices and other challenges affecting farmers.