Following the nationwide premix diversion scandal that hit the Secretariat, the Volta Regional Coordinator, attributing his claims to some fishermen, accused Elikem Sewordor, the Southern Volta Coordinator of the Premix Secretariat, of leading an organized operation to divert and hoard fuel meant for the fisher-folk in the region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”r3lm6fwzZDUHBXnRNiTPSia5v4QN25wn”]Although Elikem came out earlier to deny the claims levelled against him, he said the suit is to save his image which was exposed to public ridicule and also compel his Regional Coordinator to substantiate the allegations.

In a writ of summons copied to citifmonline.com, lawyers for the plaintiff stated that the utterances by the defendant which were published on a local Radio station, Victory FM and  Citi FM were libellous and defamatory to the character of the plaintiff.

“The plaintiff claims against the defendant are as follows; A declaration in Ewe Language which utterances when translated in English means; “Elikem says he was employed before me- I accept that. The fact is he says I do not understand the premix supply job. That is clear but the job that he knows is to the diversion of fuel- is it stealing the stealing of the fuel? If premix is sent to the fishermen in the south, they will divert the fuel. Diversion of fuel is what they have been doing along the coast there. Sometimes they send the diverted fuel to Togo. I have been informed that the cost of one tanker of fuel is GHC19, 000.00 but when they divert it to Togo, they make GHC 50,000.00” which were uttered and published by the defendant against the plaintiff on 05/12/2017.”

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By: King Nobert Akpabli/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Southern Volta Premix coordinator sues Regional Director appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This was contained in a joint press release issued by the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, National Petroleum Authority and the National Premix Fuel Committee after an emergency meeting over the recent premix fuel diversion scandal.

Among the 6-point resolutions taken at the meeting last week, all premix fuel outlets in the country will be reviewed for compliance with standard requirements with those that fall short being closed down.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Premix fuel diversions: ‘Guilty’ OMCs banned appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the act of the minister was inappropriate and must prompt her to relinquish her position, especially in the wake of the recent premix fuel diversion scandal that has hit the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”HTNmu2kukzVkGFC4HLO9oO1b3XFi3T1f”]The Fisheries Ministry, headed by Mrs. Afoley Quaye, has failed to act over the issue of fuel diversion when it was brought to its attention by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

Following the revelations that the diversions had taken place, the fact that the Minister had appointed her brother, Joseph Botchwey, as the Acting Administrator of the National Premix Secretariat at a point in time, came as a shock to many.

With this move by the Minister raising questions relating to conflict of interest, Mr. Azeem suggested that Mrs. Afoley Quaye must step down from her position.

“You come in as a minister and you say there is a new era and you handpick your own brother to be in charge of an area that ends up with these allegations, how do you raise your head in the public? Shouldn’t you say I am bowing out because of this mess I have caused to myself, to the family and to the government that I am serving?” he questioned in an interview on Eyewitness News.

Gov’t posture to premix scandal not inspiring – Vitus Azeem

He added that he had little confidence in the Akufo-Addo administration’s ability to effectively probe the scandal.

“[I’m not questioning] just capacity but the unwillingness and refusal [of the government] to deal with these things that they promised us, and got our votes to take over the reigns of governance of this country,” he said.

Background

At least 200 cases of premix fuel diversions have been cited by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), since January 2017.

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, Mrs. 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 been replaced by a substantive appointee.

CID petitioned

Meanwhile, a civil society group calling itself the Fisheries Alliance, has petitioned the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, to investigate the suspected premix fuel diversion scandal.

In a letter to the CID, the Alliance cited President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive to ensure investigations into any corruption allegations against his appointees as the reason for their action.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fisheries Minister should’ve resigned over premix scandal – Azeem appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The petition, which was forwarded to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development had indicated that there has been a “violent and sudden invasion of fish landing beaches countrywide by groups rampaging and raving self-proclaimed NPP functionaries who claimed to have been given the power to take over the running of affairs at the beaches.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”lrQxaDt7Hj2v7FFsHcDtvXjfLKSxztsn”]“The lawfully constituted landing beach committees were supplanted by new ones arbitrarily formed by Mr. Nii Lante Bannerman, Chairman of the National Premix Committee.These illegal committees are now in charge of the sale and management of premix fuel at the various landing beaches countrywide,” the petition added.

The petition was issued to get the Ministry to devise immediate strategies to resolve this problem.

Fisheries Minister still appears indifferent

However seven months after this petition was issued, the sector Minister, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye still appears indifferent about the development.

She told Citi News that the ministry does not have a tracking system to identify culprits, hence the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which has such a system “must take action.”

The NPA, in series of letters dated between January and October 2017, informed the National Pre-mix fuel Committee and the Fisheries Ministry to take action against some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that are involved in the diversion of the product meant for fisherfolk in the country’s coastal communities.

The OMCs, according to the letter, received consignments of the pre-mix fuel at the Tema Oil Refinery supposedly to be supplied to fishing communities outside Accra, however, they ended up being distributed in Accra, often to industries.

The development, which has persisted for several months, appears to be a major factor in the collapsing fishing industry, with a decline in local fish production and increase in fish imports.

But in a rather combative interview, Madam Afoley Quaye said she was informed that the supposed diverted pre-mix fuels were duly received.

She said, “I went to the landing beaches to find out exactly what they were doing there, and the members of the landing beach committees gave me documents to prove that they have actually received the pre-mix fuel.”

This claim by the Minister, is however at variance with the NPA letters which also confirmed that in the 249 diversions recorded, receipts were made available by some of the landing beach committees, although they never received the product.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Party executives taking over landing beach c’ttees – Fishermen Council appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Azeem said he was questioning “not just capacity but the unwillingness and refusal [of the government] to deal with these things that they promised us, and got our votes to take over the reigns of governance of this country.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”tiVrb1Ryh1ZNtPh9Hx5ZHnjfFaRIijOF”]As the scandal unfolds, the fact that the Minister had appointed her brother Joseph Botchwey, as the acting Administrator of the National Premix Secretariat at a point in time, has shocked many, with some calling for her resignation.

In view of the seeming conflict of interest in the matter, Mr. Azeem suggested that Mrs. Afoley Quaye must step down from her position.

“You come in as a minister and you say there is a new era and you handpick your own brother to be in charge of an area that ends up with these allegations, how do you raise your head in the public? Shouldn’t you say I am bowing out because of this mess I have caused to myself to the family and to the government that I am serving,” he questioned.

For Mr. Azeem, the handling of this scandal could be likened to the leniency meted out to the High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng, who infamously besmirched his position with blatantly partisan comments, but to no significant consequence.

“Things like this should be dealt with quickly. Get these people out of the way. But this government doesn’t seem to be doing that. We cannot easily forget the South African High Commissioner’s case. They just glossed over them,” Mr. Azeem lamented.

However, there is still hope for the confidence Ghanaians have in the government’s anti-corruption fight if it handles this case well, Mr. Azeem added.

“These are clear credible allegations that have been discussed on the radio. Immediately get the investigation going and if the investigation comes out, make it public and sanction those that have been found to have fallen foul of the law. If you are able to do that to your own people, then we have the confidence that you are really determined to fight corruption.”

Background

At least 200 cases of premix fuel diversions have been cited by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), since January 2017.

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, Mrs. Afoley Quaye said the NPA was in a better position to act on the widespread diversion of premix fuel, because the 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 for a substantive person.

CID petitioned

Meanwhile, a civil society group calling itself the Fisheries Alliance, has petitioned the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, to investigate the suspected premix fuel diversion scandal.

In a letter to the CID, the Alliance cited President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive to ensure investigations into any corruption allegations against his appointees as the reason for their action.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t posture on premix scandal not inspiring – Vitus Azeem appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the parliamentary probe, which must be bipartisan, has become necessary due to the executive’s unwillingness to investigate the matter.

Bawa calls for Fisheries Minister’s resignation over premix scandal

[contextly_sidebar id=”qSwgZHW7xXasNP2CV11KqRERQjDd7C1F”]Edward Bawa, who is also a member of the Energy and Mines committee of Parliament, is also calling for the resignation of the Fisheries Minister, who he believes is ultimately responsible for the mess particularly because she arbitrarily appointed her brother to serve as the administrator at the premix fuel committee.

In a statement copied to citifmonline.com, the legislator alleged that, the diverted premix fuel was being sold to industries at a higher cost.

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, COPEC, also alleged that the fuel is being sold to unsuspecting motorists at the various pumps.

Citi News gathered earlier this week that, at least 200 trucks of premix fuel had been diverted by Oil Marketing Marketing Companies that were to supply the product outside Accra, but ended up supplying mostly within Accra for industrial purposes at a higher cost to make more profit.

This was revealed in series of letters from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), to the National Premix Committee and the Ministry of Fisheries, alerting them about the development.

The Ministry, however, failed to act on the matter.

Read the full statement below:

PARLIAMENT MUST SET UP A BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE LATEST HAPPENINGS IN THE PETROLEUM DOWNSTREAM SECTOR

It has come to my notice and indeed the notice of most Ghanaians that about 200 trucks of premix fuel meant to power fishing boats in our coastal areas have been diverted to pump stations in the country and sold to unsuspecting motorists.

This is a very worrying development, particularly as fishermen are not only denied this subsidized product, which is critical to their operations, but also the product has the potential to damage the engines of vehicles. It is indeed an off spec petroleum product for our pumps.

What is more worrying is that, the chairman of the National Premix committee, who is a brother of the Minister for Fisheries (the appointing authority) is being alleged to be behind this scandal.

If this is true, the Minister must, as a matter public morality and good governance resign.

This development also comes on the heels of the Minister for Energy’s refusal to make public, the report of the Dr. Lawrence Darkua’s committee that supposedly investigated yet another scandal at BOST.

This was a scandal where five million litres of off spec petroleum product was sold to an unlicensed company without going through the necessary procurement processes. In essence, that process had all the marks of corruption written all over it.

What is more disturbing is that, the Minister for Energy on November 23, 2017, in a response to a parliamentary question posed by me, told parliament that, as a measure to ensuring that off spec petroleum products do not get to our pump stations, NPA was using tracking devices on BRVs and a marking scheme to monitor the movements of all petroleum products.

This recent development proves that the Minister was not candid with Ghanaians. This is because, as at the time the Minister was making this statement, an agency under his supervision knew that an off spec product, in the form of premix fuel, was being sold at our pump stations.

This indicates that, the Minister can no longer be trusted to protect consumers against the sale of contaminated petroleum products in the country.

I am therefore calling on Parliament to, as a matter of urgency, set up a bipartisan committee to investigate this development, as the executive led by H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo has demonstrated it’s unwillingness to tackle the problem for reasons best known to them.

Edward Abambire Bawa (MP for Bongo & Member, Mines & Energy Committee).

‘We don’t have tracking system; NPA must arrest culprits’

The Minister in reacting to the development in a Citi News interview, said the NPA was in a better position to investigate and punish the culprits.

According to her, the Ministry does not have a tracking system to identify culprits, hence the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which has a system to track such happenings “must take action.”

Fisheries Minister justifies brother’s appointment on premix c’ttee

The Minister, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, however defended her decision to appoint her brother Joseph Botchwey, as the acting Administrator of the National Premix Secretariat.

Some have blamed the appointment of Joseph Botchwey as interim administrator of the Committee as a likely cause of the premix distribution challenges.

Speaking to Richard Dela Sky on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye laughed off the matter, saying “will you not appoint a competent brother of yours to hold a position in your office? Would you not? Because you hate your relations, even when they are competent enough to hold positions, you will not give it to them?”

Still directing her comment at Richard Dela Sky, Ms Quaye said: “I have not put myself in any conflict of interest. Maybe you have to go back yourself, and find out who is the substantive administrator of the premix committee. His or her government has ended and a new era is in place. He or she is not at the premix secretariat, please!”

According to the Minister, that acting interim administrator has since left the position, and a substantive person has been put there.

CID petitioned

Meanwhile, a civil society group calling itself the Fisheries Alliance, has petitioned the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, to investigate the suspected premix fuel diversion scandal.

In a letter to the CID, the Alliance cited President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive to ensure investigations into any corruption allegations against his appointees as the reason for their action.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bawa calls for parliamentary probe into premix scandal appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a letter to the CID, the Alliance cited President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive to ensure investigations into any corruption allegations against his appointees as the reason for their action.

[contextly_sidebar id=”0rj642OpCnm6bT71Fu4793CL6JW6bw4S”]Of concern to the group, are the perceived shortcomings on the part of Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

It wants her role in the entire controversy investigated, especially her decision to appoint her brother Joseph Botchwey, as the acting Administrator of the National Premix Secretariat.

The group contends that, there may be a conflict of interest situation, and added that her brother’s appointment may not have been lawful.

It also questioned why the “Minister and the Chairman of the Premix Committee refused to respond to the letters written to them on the suspected diversions from February to November 17, 2017, by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), why they also refused to take steps to stop the diversions which rather increased over the period.”

Another question on the group’s mind is, “why the Hon. Minister refused to respond to the letter written to her by the Hon. Minister for Energy and Petroleum on May 16, 2017, reminding her of all the earlier letters written to her by the NPA.”

Background

At least 200 cases of premix fuel diversions have been cited by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), since January 2017.

The Ministry of Energy, in May 2017, subsequently ordered the Fisheries Ministry to probe the companies alleged to be complicit in the fuel diversion.

If found to have fallen foul of the law, the companies in question were to be suspended indefinitely.

But as at November 2017, companies cited for the diversion of fuel were still operating, and no investigation had been conducted, per Citi News‘ checks.

When quizzed on her role in the scandal by Citi News, Mrs. Afoley Quaye said the NPA was in a better position to act on the widespread diversion of premix fuel, because the Ministry did not have a tracking system to identify culprits.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, 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.

Find the full petition below

RE-SUSPECTED DIVERSION OF PREMIX FUEL:  PETITION FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND POSSIBLE PROSECUTION

The Fisheries Alliance is a Civil Society Groupings with interest in the fishing industry and comprises amongst others representatives from Canoe Fishermen Council, National Association of Fish Processors and Traders, National Inshore Fisheries Association amongst others.

The Alliance has been following with keen interest the ongoing media exposé regarding the suspected diversion of some 249 tankers of premix fuel and finds responses particularly from the Chairman of the Premix Committee and the Hon. Minister responsible for Fisheries very interesting and demanding further investigation.

The Alliance, has painstakingly obtained available copies of all the letters written by the National Petroleum Authority and has thoroughly studied them. (here-in attached)

The Alliance has, therefore, agreed to officially launch a complaint on the subject matter to your distinguished office.

WE are aware of your resolve to fight corruption and wish to bring to your attention for full enquiry the following;

1. The role of the Hon. Minister, Mrs. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye in the entire controversy,
2. The role of the Chairman of the Premix Committee, Nii Lantey Bannerman in the suspected diversions,
3. The admission by the Hon. Minister on public radio that she has engaged her blood brother as the administrator of the premix secretariat and if the said engagement was done in accordance with law and whether or not conflict of interest situation did not arise
4. Why the Hon. Minister and the Chairman Premix Committee refused to respond to the letters written to them on the suspected diversions from February to November 17 by the National Petroleum Authority, Why they also refused to take steps to stop the diversions which rather increased over the period.
5. Why the Hon. Minister refused to respond to the letter written to her by the Hon. Minister for Energy and Petroleum on May 16, 2017 reminding her of all the earlier letters written to her by the NPA.
6. Why the Hon. Minister of Fisheries refused to respond to the letter written to her by the Canoe Fishermen Council, who are the end users of the Premix Fuel about their suspicion of diversion and why she refused to act on same.

In line with H.E the President’s campaign and continues pledge to investigate all allegations of corruption, it is our fervent hope that this matter will be fully investigated.

We will be grateful if this service is done to Ghanaians.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully

Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah

Convener

Fisheries Alliance

Tel: 0244817020,

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Premix scandal: Group petitions CID to probe Fisheries Minister, others appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Government reportedly spends nearly Ghc200 million to subsidize the commodity annually.

[contextly_sidebar id=”04yLlE4u7GMfENGfqrAwBqxQqk5vLBH7″]Mr. Hosi is also of the view that the Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministry must be blamed for the premix fuel diversion in the country.

According to him, the Ministry, despite its key role in the supply of premix fuel to fisher-folk, has refused to cooperate with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in order to help bring the perpetrators to book.

The National Petroleum Authority’s (NPA) BRV tracking system, has revealed that huge amounts of premix fuel meant for fisher-folk, loaded from the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) have been diverted for the past eight months.

Nearly 249 of such diversions took place, and the product is often sold to industries within Tema. There are also reports that some fuel stations use the fuel by sometimes mixing it with petrol and selling to unsuspecting consumers.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, Senyo Hosi suggested that, incidents of premix fuel diversion had been permitted to occur for several years, and called for all institutions that appear to be supporting the illegality to be dealt with.

“The NPA I’m aware has fined some of these OMCs and some of them have paid, indicating that some of these OMCs are complicit. There is criminality associated with this, what must happen is that, people be held accountable and responsible. We have to start with the premix secretariat and the Fisheries Ministry. Why are they not cooperating with the NPA. The institutions that are failing to cooperate with the NPA must be brought to book,” he said.

Senyo Hosi believes the office of the president must be drawn into the matter to make sure that the right things are done, noting that there was the need for the subsidy on premix fuel to be removed due to the belief it was only a profit-making venture for some private individuals.

“I’ll expect that the presidency should take a keen interest in this because the presidency oversees all these institutions….We should possibly even have an open inquiry because it has been lingering on for a long time. We may even need to consider scrapping this entire subsidy thing because the subsidy for premix is largely ending in private people’s pockets,” he told Richard Sky on Eyewitness News.

Premix fuel sector gold mine for party executives – Inland Fisherman

Chairman of the National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council, Jacob Tetteh Ageke, also told Citi News that political party executives in the constituencies, profit hugely from the mismanagement of the premix distribution.

Joseph Ageke claimed that local executives of whichever political party is in power or persons who claimed to have contributed to that party’s ascension to government, take possession of the fuel meant for the fisher-folk and sell it at exorbitant prices.

“We [fishermen] have been thrown out, the moment government changes, the pre-mix fuel is taken and given to party chairmen and businessmen. One person could come and say that they supported President Akufo-Addo to come into power so they are going to take over the pre-mix fuel and they indeed do so. There are communities that have no outboard motors which are taking pre-mix fuel. The fishermen are not diverting the pre-mix fuel. It’s the fuel dealers in Ashaiman and other places, party chairmen and foot-soldiers who are not fishing and have taken over the pre-mix fuel. It happened in NDC’s regime and it’s happening more in NPP’s regime,” he claimed.

The commodity, which is sold for between Ghc7.20 and Ghc7.50 per gallon, is reportedly sold twice the amount by those who divert it.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Premix subsidy only going into private pockets – Senyo Hosi appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Citi News has sighted a petition from the Council that was addressed to the Minister for Fisheries and Acquaculture Development specifically on April 27, 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fqoM64iijgr1UDhN4xsf5McEEAgoGLht”]The petition had indicated that, the practice of diversion, which is usually prevalent in areas such as Ashaiman among others, leads to the fuel publicly sold in buckets, instead of being discharged through pumps.

“There is massive diversion of the product to areas like Ashaiman and are being sold publicly using ‘buckets”’instead of discharging it and using pumps as well as to several filling stations outside the landing beaches for sale to unsuspecting vehicle owners thus causing damage to their engines.”

Violent takeover by NPP functionaries

The Council further alleged in the petition that, there has been a “violent and sudden invasion of fish landing beaches countrywide by groups rampaging and raving as self proclaimed NPP functionaries who claimed to have been given the power to take over the running of affairs at the beaches.”

“The lawfully constituted landing beach committees were supplanted by new ones arbitrarily formed by Mr. Nii Lante Bannerman, Chairman of the National Premix Committee.These illegal committees are now in charge of the sale and management of premix fuel at the various landing beaches countrywide,” the petition said.

Premix diversion: I don’t have tracking system; NPA must arrest – Minister

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, has said the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), is in a better position to act on the widespread diversion of premix fuel.

According to her, the ministry does not have a tracking system to identify culprits hence the NPA, which has a system to track such happenings “must take action.”

“They have the trackers, the NPA by law is supposed to be monitoring the supply and distribution of the pre-mix fuel, and it is the NPA that has that authority to be prosecuting offenders. So I told the NPA that the moment you find somebody perpetuating this crime, you arrest this person on the spot. The NPA has the tracker. As I sit here, I don’t have any tracker, I don’t have a tracking system to tell who is diverting pre-mix fuel or not,” the minister said on Eyewitness News on Tuesday.

Shortage of fuel worries fishermen

Fisher-folk in the Western Region had told Citi News that the supply of the product has not been regular since the beginning of January 2017.

They say the Nana Addo government started supplying the product on a good note in January, but the situation took a nosedive when various scheduled date were violated.

The Western Region since January 2017 has had 189,000 gallons of premix fuel diverted 14 times, mainly to Tema. These diversions were done on a small scale in the first half of the year, but took a dramatic turn in July up until October.

‘Over 200 cases’

The National Petroleum Authority’s BRV Tracking System, recorded over 200 instances of diverted premix fuel between January and October 2017, but the regulator has failed to sanction the perpetrators.

It has instead been writing letters repeatedly to the National Premix Committee, which says it has no power to prosecute or entirely check the distribution of the product.

Fishing industry collapsing

This is happening at a time when fishing communities in need of the fuel hardly get access to it due to its shortage and high cost in their respective areas.

The lack of the product in these communities affects the activities of fisherfolks, eventually leading to fewer catches, allowing excess importation of fish and fish products from other countries.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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Fishermen in Ghana’s coastal areas have complained of the irregular supply of premix fuel throughout the year, a situation that is affecting their livelihood.

Citi News this week laid hands on a scandal where Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s) diverted 249 consignments of premix fuel meant for fisher-folk across the country, to be sold to industries, mostly within the Tema metropolis.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XYSl2hVWNHOOdP00KzcebxU5idsq36aN”]Some have blamed the appointment of Joseph Botchwey as interim administrator of the Committee as a likely cause.

But speaking to Richard Dela Sky on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye laughed off the matter, saying “will you not appoint a competent brother of yours to hold a position in your office? Would you not? Because you hate your relations, even when they are competent enough to hold positions, you will not give it to them?”

Still directing her comment at Richard Dela Sky, Ms Quaye said: “I have not put myself in any conflict of interest. Maybe you have to go back yourself, and find out who is the substantive administrator of the premix committee. His or her government has ended and a new era is in place. He or she is not at the premix secretariat, please!”

According to the Minister, that acting interim administrator has since left the position, and a substantive person has been put there.

Even though the Ministry by a legislative instrument is mandated to police the sector, the Minister told Citi News that she expected the NPA to effect the arrest of the perpetrators.

“We have not had a tracking system so when they find people culpable, why are they not arrested? They should be arrested because we do not have a tracking system and the NPA is also a statutory institution – a state institution that works together with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, their duty is to do the monitoring and find out who are perpetrating what crime so they find these people out. All I expect is that these people will be prosecuted…As the Fisheries Minister, all I do is to ensure that the premix fuel gets to the Fishermen. If the NCA tells me that they have found some OMCs perpetrating this crime, I expect the NCA to take an action.”

 I don’t have tracking system; NPA must arrest 

The Minister clearly appeared indifferent about her role in addressing the problem of pre-mix fuel diversion as alleged by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

According to her, the ministry does not have a tracking system to identify culprits hence the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which has a system to track such happenings “must take action.”

The NPA in series of letters dated between January and October 2017, informed the National Pre-mix fuel Committee and the Fisheries Ministry to take action against some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that are involved in the diversion of the product meant for fisher-folk in the country’s coastal communities.

The OMCs, according to the letter, took supply of the pre-mix fuel at the Tema Oil Refinery supposedly to be supplied to fishing communities outside Accra, however, they ended up supplying them within Accra often to industries.

The development, which has persisted for several months, appear to be a major factor for the collapsing fishing industry, with a decline in local fish production and increase in fish imports.

But in a rather combative interview, Madam Afoley Quaye said she was informed that the supposed diverted pre-mix fuels were duly received.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fisheries Minister justifies brother’s appointment on premix c’ttee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.