Bawumia's Premix automation dispensary has worsened fuel corruption - Former Nat'l Premix C'ttee Chairman

The immediate past National Premix Committee Chairman, John Quayson, popularly known in the fishing industry as 'Maanoma' has shared his frustration over the persistent occurrence of premix fuel diversion despite the Vice President's recent commissioning of the Premix Automation Fuel Dispensary and Monitoring System on September 5, 2023 at Elmina in the Central Region.

According to him, the introduction of the Premix Automation Fuel Dispensary as declared by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to eliminate the corruption, diversion and other bottlenecks associated with the supply and distribution of premix fuel appears null and void.

He bemoaned that the transformative initiative has yielded no positive impact on fisherfolks in accessing premix fuel but rather deepened the woes of premix corruption, as Branch Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) still call the shots on the selling of premix fuel across the country.

'Maanoma' relayed all this in a press conference held close to the newly commissioned Premix Automation Fuel Dispensary at Elmina.

The former National Premix Committee Chairman established that these party executives having strategically hijacked the flow of premix fuel from reaching fisherfolks, have seized the opportunity to hike prices of the fuel to sell a gallon of premix for GH¢350 instead of GH¢240 with a barrel of premix fuel been sold for GH¢3,000 instead of GH¢1,680.

He recounted that the veep's commissioned Premix Dispensary seems to be a white elephant barely a month down the lane, as fuel tankers still deposit premix fuel at old premix landing sites instead of the automated dispensary joints as this defeats the purpose of the initiative.

The veteran fisherman, however, blamed the persisting menace in the fishing industry on the Vice President and the current National Premix Committee Chairman, Mr. Dennis Percyval Quaicoe who he apportions due to their presidential and parliamentary race respectively has overlooked for the abnormality to hold merely for their political gains.

Some fisherfolks of Elmina in an interview with GhanaWeb revealed to be finding things difficult in accessing premix fuel for their work amid the Vice President's commissioned premix fuel dispensary, as they still face the challenge of fuel corruption and other dubious activities by middlemen.

They claimed that there were still middlemen infiltrating the business though there was an automated system

They appealed to the government to make the process visible for all, especially the fishermen themselves to ensure accuracy and transparency in the process.

“The middlemen are still doing their job oo, regardless of the new system but the government must sit up and do something about it,” he added.