Premix Fuel Sale  At Exorbitant Price  Of GH¢75 Instead  Of GH¢56 At Kwahu  East Kotoso -DCE Looks Unconcerned; As Boat Operators Call For President Akufo-Addo Intervention

Members of the Afram Boats Union have accused the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Kwahu East District in the Eastern Region, Mr. Isaac Agyapong sitting down unconcerned for the owners of the landing beaches of premix fuel at Kotoso in the Afram Plains to sell premix fuel to the boat operators at the exorbitant price of GH¢75 instead of the government control certified price of GH¢ 56.00.

They complained bitterly that these individual personalities have hijacked premix fuel and sold the yellow gallon to them at the exorbitant price of GH¢ 75.00 instead of GH¢ 56.00, making it very difficult for intended users to have access to premix fuel in the area.

"Some known members of the NPP would buy the premix fuel from the landing beaches at Kotoso at the price of GH¢56.00 and resell it to the fishermen and boat operators at the high price of GH¢ 75.00. This is the corruption that is currently ongoing in the distribution of the premix fuel in the fishing communities along Afram River in Kwahu East District. 

They pointed out that they (members of Afram Boats Union) had officially reported these corrupt practices of the owners of the landing beaches of premix fuel at Kotoso to the DCE last week Thursday and that the DCE assured them that he would find out from the premix fuel sellers at Kotoso and gave them feedback.

For a week now, according to them, the DCE is yet to respond to them and that whenever they called him via telephone he never answered their calls.

The members of Afram Boats Union hinted that "The latest information from the office of the Kwahu East District Assembly which reached us indicates that these businessmen are preparing to sell one yellow gallon which we referred to in Ghana as Kufuor gallon of the premix fuel price of GH¢ 80.00 in the coming Kotoso market day.

The Soureenews.com investigations have uncovered how the owners of the landing beaches of premix fuel at Kotoso in the Afram Plains have connived with the Kotoso Premix Fuel Coordinating Director, Mr. Micheal Baah Asiedu in succeeding in creating an artificial shortage in the distribution of the premix fuel to the boat operators and other intended users.

This online news outlet gathered that the owners of the various premix fuel landing beaches at Kotoso with the tacit support of Mr. Baah mostly hoard the product and sell it at exorbitant prices to fishermen.

The development has compiled the boat operators to, immediately call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to impress upon the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate Mr. Asiedu's misconduct.

They added that Mr. Baah has teamed up with the owners of the landing beaches at Kotoso to hoard the huge consignments of premix fuel meant for fisher-folk on the Afram River. 

The fisher-folks in the Afram River have told Soireenews.com that the supply of the product has not been regular since the beginning of January 2022.

The worrying situation, this reporter learned has degenerated into a turf war between the owners of the premix fuel landing beaches and thousands of fisher-folks including the commercial boat operators in the various fishing communities along the Afram River who usually ply the Kotoso market.

In this process, the big boat operators have threatened to embark on another strike action, stating coming Tuesday, June 21, 2022, which situation would affect the economic and business activities on Kotoso market day.

Kotoso is a big market center where people from all over Kwahu and even some parts of Ashanti come to trade, the Days for the market are Tuesdays and Fridays.

However, the intended strike action by the big boat operators would make the passengers, fish sellers, and residents along the Afram River to be stranded since the only means to transport crossing the Afram River is by boat.

The passengers in the fishing communities on Afram River are Asempaneye Toklom, Agbokpakofe, Adelakofe, Abokyere, Skye, Sempra, and Hehladzi among others would be hard hit by this strike of boat operators.

The leadership of the Afram Boat Union in Kotoso stated that their decision to go on the strike has stemmed from the fact that some individuals believed to be associated with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Kotoso market have hijacked the premix fuel and selling at exorbitant prices.