Jake writes to Mills on NDC leaflet on fuel prices

The Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has written an open letter to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Prof. John Atta Mills protesting against the content of a leaflet on the recent fuel price increases said to have been issued by the party.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said in the letter, which was copied to the media, that the government had no plans to import thousands of chain saws as the leaflet claimed.

He also denied that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had set up a transport company for its supporters.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey dismissed point 14 of the leaflet, which claims that the fuel price hikes were aimed at particular tribes. "I urge you to lead your party away from this ethnically divisive and destructive campaign."

The Statesman quoted point 14 of the document as saying: "The fishing industry faces imminent collapse. Even with the price of pre-mix fuel at 8,500 cedis per gallon before the increases, fishermen were finding it hard to make ends meet.

"Now that the fuel price has almost doubled to 16,000 cedis the Ahantas, the Fantes, the Gas and Ewes whose livelihood depends on coastal fishing appear doomed and the industry faces extinction.

"The NPP has financed a small clique of its supporters to embark on marine fish importation. To succeed in their plan, they have to kill the local fishing industry. This is the reason for the almost 100 percent increase in the price of pre-mix fuel."

But John Mahama according to the Statesman story expressed polite disgust at the document. ?As far as I know, most of what is in the two documents firmly represent our views. Turning to paragraph 14, the Member for Bole said, ?this is lobbing the ethnic card. I don?t know why the fishing crisis would be described this way.?

He noted that it couldn?t be an official document.