Akufo-Addo Gov’t has done extremely well for sealing Premix fuel diversion — Allotey Jacobs

 

By Martin Awuku.

24 January.

The former Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress has commended the Premix Committee headed by cousin of the Fisheries Minister for doing a yeoman’s job.

 

According to “Uncle Allotey” as he is affectionately called, the premix commmittee has been a able to solve a problem dear to his heart as a fisherman, which is the diversions of premix.

This comment is despite the fact that in 2017 Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s) diverted 249 consignments of premix fuel meant for fisher-folk across the country, to be sold to industries, under the watch of one Joseph Botchwey, aclose cousin of The fisheries Minister.

Commenting on development in the sector, Allotey Jacob on Kokrokoo said:

“Premix Board has done extremely well. They’ve been able to halt premix diversions.”

“The issue of fisherfolks are dear to my heart because that is where I come from and so their welfare is my welfare.” He added.

“They’ve done extremely well to have sealed all the loop holes in premix diversions”.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, in 2018 defended her decision to appoint her brother Joseph Botchwey, as the acting Administrator of the National Premix Secretariat.

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.

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

But reacting to the development in a MyNewsGh.com covered news event, 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?” She asked.

“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.

She admitted that her outfit is helpless when it comes to premix diversion, heaping all the blame on the National Petroleum Authority.

“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.”

Source: MyNewsGh.com/