Hundreds of fishermen and outboard boat operators at Yeji and its adjoining communities along the Volta Lake in the Pru District of the Brong Ahafo Region are furious
Their anger was because for several months now that they have been denied pre-mix fuel by the National Premix Committee.
Consequently, they have threatened to storm the Flagstaff House—seat of government—if the National Premix Committee (NPC) fails to supply them with premix fuel.
Speaking to Today via telephone yesterday, scores of the fishermen complained bitterly about the situation.
The situation, according to them, was depriving them of their livelihoods.
Again, the fishermen and the boat operators protested the commercial sale and distribution of the pre-mix to the local fishing communities, which by a Legislative Instrument (LI) is supposed to be carried by the fishermen at Yeji, have now been taken over by non-fishermen and politicians.
The development, according to them, has adversely affected the supply of fuel to the fishermen, thereby making it difficult for them to go fishing.
They also alleged that whenever the pre-mix fuel tanker arrived at Yeji the fuel is allocated to people who are not into the fishing business.
According to them, the profit accrued from the sale of each tanker of the premix fuel, which is supposed to be paid into the coffers of the communities is also not being followed.
“We are appealing to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to urgently do something about our current situation because it is time for bumper harvest but we are confronted with this fuel shortage to power outboard motors. We are also appealing to the minister in charge of fisheries and aquaculture and the Brong Ahafo regional minister to ensure that the fuel get to the right beneficiaries” the fishermen stressed.
Fisher-folks in Ghana have and continue to play a cardinal role in the country’s development.
In addition to providing jobs for over two million citizens involved directly and indirectly with local fishing, fish also serves as food with high nutritional value.
That perhaps underpins the rationale behind the introduction of pre-mix fuel by former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of 1992 and later improved by the late President Prof. John Mills in May 2009, with the introduction of pre-mix fuel Landing Beach Committees (LBCs).
This was to empower the fisher-folks to oversee the sale and distribution of premix fuel by local fishing communities.
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