The usual pomp and pageantry of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) was replaced by a somber, rhythmic chant today as the Minority in Parliament staged a dramatic visual protest against the government’s recent agricultural policies.
As President Mahama entered the chamber to deliver his 2026 address, he was not met with the customary standing ovation from all sides.
Instead, he was greeted by a stark display of cocoa pods held aloft by the opposition.
In a tightly coordinated move, every member of the Minority arrived clad in funeral black attire, signaling what they described as the “death of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer’s dream.”
The protest took a literal turn during the President’s procession into the House.
In a choreographed display of solidarity with the nation’s growers, each Minority MP held up a raw cocoa pod, thrusting them toward the center aisle as he passed.
The silence of the chamber was broken by a hauntingly steady chant that echoed off the high ceilings: “Y’anka sε ɔbεte so, εno na εda hɔ no,” to wit, “We said it, we told you… he would reduce the cocoa price.”
The protest centers on the recent downward adjustment of the cocoa producer price.
The Minority argues that while global demand fluctuates and the cost of living soars, the government’s decision to lower the farm-gate price is a “betrayal” of the workforce that forms the backbone of the economy.
Despite the tense atmosphere and the sight of cocoa pods being brandished from the opposition benches, President Mahama maintained his composure.
While his speech focused heavily on infrastructure and economic transformation, the images of MPs in black, clutching the very crop that built Ghana’s middle class, are already dominating social media.
By 1960news.com
