“Don't Politicize Fuel Shortage"

People and cars in the nation’s capital, Accra and some other regions have been in queues since yesterday in search of fuel as a result of most oil marketing companies (OMC’s) running out of stock. Reporting from Tantra Hill in Accra, Peace FM reporter Obeng Manu described the situation as unfortunate.

According to him, both cars and people carrying gallons of various sizes could be seen in the queues waiting to buy fuel, due to the shortage. The story was not any different at a filling station at Dome, a suburb of Accra. Speaking there to yet another Peace FM reporter, Nana Yaa Brefo, a driver disclosed that he had travelled all the way from Makola to Dome in search of fuel. A report filed our own reporter, Sampson Nyamekye in Kumasi, indicated that the fuel shortage had not yet affected the Kumasi metropolis, but speculations were rife that people from outlying towns like Dunkwa-on-offin and others who are also experiencing some degree of shortage may invade Kumasi in search of fuel and cause shortage. The reporters added that most commercial and private vehicular drivers had parked their cars due to the shortage.

Speaking on the Kokrokoo show, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Akwasi Sarpong disclosed that the shortage has come about as a result of a technical problem at TOR. He was however quick to add that the worst is over and the queues would soon disappear. He further disclosed that aside from the technical problem, a number of the OMCs are heavily indebted to TOR, thereby unduly overstretching the latter's financial capacity and hindering the Refinery’s smooth operation. Though he did not identify TOR's debtors, Mr Sarpong urged Ghanaians not to politicize the issue at hand.

In a related development, the President of the Women In Law organization, Ms. Ursula Owusu who also appeared on the programme challenged the Energy ministry to name the debtors and sanction them because their actions are making life miserable for all Ghanaians, besides their potential to cause major disruptions in the nation's transportation system.

By John Nyaaba, peacefmonline.com