14 February 2014, Accra – The struggle over who to manage the government supplied premix fuel to Akateng, one of the 10 Landing Beach Committees (LBCs) in the Upper Manya Krobo District, is creating tension in the area.
The Ghana News Agency gathered that the tussle started a little over a month ago and it has been heightening each passing day.
A faction, led by Nene Narh Adjaotor, supposed Chief Fisherman, has threatened to set ablaze any premix fuel that the National Association of Inland Fisheries would supply to Mr. George Gbedam Agotue, the Akateng Assemblyman, who was hitherto managing the fuel.
Members of the boat owners association, the main users of the premix fuel, who work on the River Afram, have also threatened to stop landing at Akateng shores if the fuel continues to sell at an unapproved price.
Should the members of the boat owners association carry out their threat, fishing business in Akateng, the main job in the area would end, and revenue base of the district would dwindle.
They, therefore, advocated that the assemblyman for Akateng should be allowed to continue to manage the fuel sales, since with him they can get the fuel at the approved price of GH¢ 5.50 rather than the alleged GH¢ 7.50 and GH¢ 8.00 per a gallon is being sold by the Adjaotor faction.
The GNA gathered that, the Akateng Landing Beach Committee was headed by one late Nene Lomotey, then Chief Fisherman, whose duty it was to manage the premix fuel supplied by the government to the area.
He managed it effectively with his committee members which included the Assemblyman until he died two years ago.
When Nene Lomotey died, the Assemblyman was made to act in managing the fuel till a substantive Chief Fisherman was selected from among the fishermen.
The GNA found out that, the profit accrued from the sale of the premix fuel had been used to put up a community school, police station and an on-going police staff accommodation.
According to the assemblyman, who spoke with the GNA in an interview, the Akateng LBC was made up of several ethnic groups, including the Adas, Krobos, Ewes and Fantes among others.
– GNA
