The government, through the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, National Petroleum Authority and the National Premix Fuel Committee, have committed to taking 6 steps to address the premix fuel diversion canker reported by Citi FM over the past one week.
The Ministries and agencies after an emergency meeting over the matter last week, resolved to among other things, ensure that the premix fuel committee ceases supply to some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) found to be complicit in the diversion of premix fuel.
See below the 6 resolutions from the emergency meeting:
1. All premix fuel outlets must be reviewed and those that do not meet the requirements closed down
2. Supply of premix fuel to the lake region will be restricted to the various ports (market centers)
3. There must be an improved collaboration between theMinistry of Energy, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, National Petroleum Authority and the National Premix Fuel Committee
4. Going forward, increased and wider stakeholder consultation will be employed in a bid to reform the premix sector
5. The NPFC will cease supply to the suspected OMCs
6. The NPA and the NPFC will continue investigations and those found culpable will be brought to book.
Background
At least over 230 cases of premix fuel diversions have been cited by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), since January 2017 to October.
The Ministry of Energy, in May 2017, subsequently ordered the Fisheries Ministry to probe the companies alleged to be complicit in the fuel diversion, but that did not happen.
When quizzed on her role in the scandal by Citi News, the Fisheries Minister, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, said the NPA was in a better position to act on the widespread diversion of premix fuel, because her Ministry did not have a tracking system to identify culprits.
Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, also defended her decision to appoint her brother as the Acting Administrator of the National Premix Secretariat, saying he was competent enough and has since left the position, and replaced by a substantive appointee.
Both the NPA and the Energy Ministry, had until this statement, avoided commentary on the matter.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana