Government directs audit of premix sales in Greater Accra
The government on Tuesday directed all District Assemblies in the Greater Region to audit the sale and revenue collection of premix fuel by Landing Beach Committees following allegations of massive fraud and mismanagement.
Beginning with the Ablekuma South Sub Metro, the government gave the Accra Metropolitan Assembly seven days to conduct the audit of the landing beaches in the area and report to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture without fail or delay.
Mr Enoch T Mensah, the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare and Nii Amassah Namoale, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture who gave the directive at Chorkor, said those to be found culpable would face the full rigours of law.
The ministers were on a tour of landing beaches.
Mr Mensah is the acting Minister of Food and Agriculture because the substantive Minister, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, is on leave.
Reports gathered by the Ghana News Agency during the tour showed mismanagement of the revenue by the Landing Beach Committees that were formed June in 2009.
Allegations reported include gross looting of the proceeds either by committee members or in connivance with premix lifters and under supply of the premix at the beaches.
Mr Mensah told fisher folks at the Chorkor beach that government would not sit unconcerned for revenues generated from premix and meant for the development of communities to be looted by unscrupulous persons.
He said sanity which prevailed some years back in the 1990s in the allocation, distribution and sale of premix fuel would be restored soon without compromise or favour especially when committees have been reconstituted.
“We can’t sit unconcerned as ministers of state and state officials who have been given the mandate to deliver development to our people to allow selfish and misguided individuals in our mist to steal what belong to all us.”
“The premix fuel money belongs to all of you in the community and therefore all of you have to get involve to ensure that the little money that you mobilise are put to use for the benefit of all,” Mr Mensah told the fisher folks.
Giving an insight into the revenue expectation of the premix, Nii Namoale said each tanker containing 3,500 litres of Premix that are discharged at a landing beach was expected to generate not less than GH¢900.
He said after deducting the emoluments of two persons a secretary and a pumping attendant who have to be employed by the Landing Beach Committee, the rest of the proceeds were supposed to be used for development purposes in the community.
Nii Namoale praised all Landing Beach Committees in the Central and Western regions for prudent management of the premix revenues since their reorganisation and said “It is only in the Greater Accra Region that the committees are not working.”
“The profit from the sale of the premix is not for an individual,” he said and that until government saw proper organisation of their Committee and their activities, premix would not be supplied to a particular landing beach.
Mr Fritz Baffour, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Constituency and Dr Alfred Vanderpuije, the AMA Chief Executive who were part of the delegation, promised to ensure that the directive was carried out without fear or favour.
A Landing Beach Committee comprises the Chief Fisherman, representatives from the canoe owners and fishmongers, an ordinary fisherman to be nominated by MOFA and a representative from the District Assembly.
Source: GNA