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Opinions of Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Columnist: Vasco, Eric Annan

Tema Oil Refinery Saga

eric annan vasco

There hasn’t being a single day passing, that the nation’s strategic sector TOR’s problems keep on swelling under the watch of president Mills’ NDC govt. It is sad to hear almost every member of this government lamenting on the previous NPP government for ten good months without a single drop of crude oil to TOR. The good people of Ghana voted for this government to do what the NPP could not do, meaning that you were to come to solve the problems not to augment the predicament of Tema Oil Refinery, where board members receives sitting allowance of not less than five hundred Ghana cedis for zero production causing huge financial loss to the ordinary tax payer of this country.

We were in this country in 2001, when the NPP came into office, at time where drivers were using gallons running to and fro for fuel resulting in hardships especially the rural communities who depend on kerosene for their night view. The then Kuffour government lamented on the Rawlings government though, but for a while and quickly organize themselves put forward a strategic plan and in less than three months crude oil was brought in and for eight years Ghanaians hardly queue for fuel across the country. Today, the story is different, the NDC government for its ineptness continuously, shifting blames on people who paid their dues while at post.

Instead of the president responding to allegations that some top members in his government are behind the failure to bring in crude, is rather priding himself to be the first president to visit TOR, just to score cheap political capital out of it; this is most unfortunate, Agya Atta wake up.! Mills visit to TOR is totally needless because, he himself is not serious in tackling the situation and thinks that he is still on campaign trill for his usual propaganda and sheer lies. Prof. what is necessary is crude, not visiting and attacking people, when they voice out their grievances. Now “Asomdweihene” is been put off because somebody used INTEMPLATE WORDS on him which put ‘him off’ from bringing the crude. Agya Atta please do not go off, bring the fuel after all, your men have are already embarrassed you to the highest degree so stop the cover up. TOR workers just expressed their frustrations in the true spirit of the nations building so father of Ghana cry not, your children needs crude.

Hon. Alfred Agbershie, a board member of Tema Oil Refinery on Wednesday called for the arrest of former CEO KK Sarppong, a man who brought an unprecedented expansion not only that but ensure that in his tenure there was continuous flow of crude oil for workers who are been paid from the nation’s wallet produced to the benefit of all. Yes, if there is any arrest then Hon. Alfred Agbershie Should be arrested first, because he is receiving unproductive allowances for ten months now.

So ridiculous and puerile that the president Atta Mills is, always reminding people that he is the only father of the nation, who even doubt Mills’ presidency? No discerning Ghanaian doubt that, but the mediocre president and his unproductive so call men always have to waste precious working hours of state gathering for which they receive allowances for such vague pronouncements.

All that Ghanaians are asking for is crude oil for TOR to be in serious operation to salvage it from collapse so that the government cannot sell it as it wants to do.

Our mothers in the villages whom Prof. Mills led NDC lie to, are suffering, because no kerosene, no diesel to transport cocoa, plantain, tomatoes etc to the market centers to sell to pay their kids sky rocketing school feels due to Mills IMF conditional loans depriving school leavers to get employment in the public sector for two years. Why this slavery Atta?

Where is the “I care for you”? Bring crude and stop washy wishy antics for drivers to buy fuel, companies to buy the by-product for their production because in no time workers would be lay off from these companies who uses TOR’s by-products.

“2012” will surely come and “kokromoti power” will talk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long live TOR! Long live Ghana!!