Breaking News: Kwahu East Kotoso Boat Operators To Go On Strike Today ...They Had Accused NPP Members Of Hijacking Premix Fuel And Selling At Exorbitant Prices
Tension is seriously brewing in Kotoso, the fishing community in the Kwahu East District headquartered in Abetifi of the Eastern Region
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
Tension is seriously brewing in Kotoso, the fishing community in the Kwahu East District headquartered in Abetifi of the Eastern Region.
The pandemonium follows the decision taken by thousands of boat operators in the various fishing communities along the Afram River who usually ply the Kotoso market to go on the strike on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, which is the usual Kotoso market day.
The intended strike action by the boat operators would make the passengers, fish sellers, and residents along the Afram River stranded since the only means to transport of crossing the Afram River is by boat.
The passengers in the fishing communities on Afram River which are namely Toklom, Adelakofe, Abokyere, Skye, Sempoa, and Hehladzi among others would be hard hit by this strike of boat operators.
Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Gbedemah on behalf of the Boat Owners and Operators Association stated that their decision to go on the strike stems from the fact that the members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Kotoso market have hijacked the premix fuel and sold at exorbitant prices.
They accused the NPP members of hijacking premix fuel and selling to them at exorbitant prices of GH¢ 100.00 instead of GH¢ 60.00 making it very difficult for intended users to have access to premix fuel.”
"The members of the NPP would buy the premix fuel pump from the landing sites at Kotoso at the price of GH¢ 60.00 and resell it to the fishermen and boat operators at the high price of GH¢ 100.00. 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.
“These behaviors of the recalcitrant members of the NPP members in the district have greatly brought undefined hardship to people along the Afram River, thereby making it difficult for them to even feed their families. Boats are idle, fisher net is left to dry because there is no premix fuel available for them to carry out their daily activities,” the fishermen and boat operators along the Afram River told this reporter yesterday in an interview.
They accused the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Kwahu East District Assembly, Mr... Isaac Agyapong of not give a listening hearing to the Boat Operators Association regarding the numerous complaints they had reported to the DCE over the behaviors of the members of the NPP to hijacking fuel and selling at a high price to boat operators and intended users.
They pointed out that the DCE has refused to act on the letters that they had officially written to him to call the members of the NPP to order so that they stop the criminal activities.
In the past, according to them premix fuel in Ghana has always been sold at a subsidized to fishermen and other related users to support their business in other to increase productivity along the Volta lake.
They pointed out that this has helped the users of premix fuel until the NPP members have created a cartel and hijacked the premix fuel, selling it at exorbitant prices in the dark, adding that this has made it very difficult for intended users to have access.
They lamented that the situation has worsened recently since the greater part of the consignment is sold to other users who are not captured under the scopes.
They indicated that the National Inland and Boat-Owners Association which is supposed to supervise the sales and its regulations is set aside.
This, according to them has resulted in low control over the distribution of any premix fuel that comes to those who need it to be used along with the communities of Afram River.
They pointed out that this cartel which is been supported by people in authority has a malicious way of handling it.
According to them, this development has brought a total hardship and low productivity both in fishing and efficient transportation of people and cargo from one community to the other.
The Boat-Owners and fishermen who operate along the volta lake are appealing to the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sit up as a matter of urgency to clear all this irresponsible cartel and NPP members so that the premix fuel can be used for its purpose and intentions.
Strongly, the association is sending a heartfelt request to the government to regularise and to put the right people to manage the premix fuel especially, the new landing beaches which are in the process to be formed.
They also hope the government's intentions about the premix fuel will be enforced and utilized proportionally to alleviate the pending hardship along the Afram River.
