DCE says tension at Akateng is under control

Mr. Joseph Tetteh Angmor, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Upper Manya Krobo, has said the District Security Committee (DISEC) had restored peace among the fishermen at Akateng.

He said the DISEC resolved the issue and later supervised the fishermen to elect one James Ayittah as the new Chief Fisherman, and a new Landing Beach Committee (LBC) formed to be in charge of managing the government-supplied premix fuel in the area.

The DCE spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Asesewa.

A misunderstanding recently arose as to whom, among the fishermen, should take charge of managing the government-supplied premix fuel to the Akateng LBC.

One faction, led by Nene Narh Asideka Adjaotor, threatened to set ablaze any amount of premix fuel that would be supplied to Akateng through the assemblyman.

On the other hand, members of the boat owners association, the main consumers of the premix fuel, who work on the River Afram, also threatened to leave the Akateng shores to another place if the Adjaotor faction were allowed to manage the fuel.

Should they carry out their threats, fishing business in Akateng would end, and revenue base of the district would dwindle.

The boat owners advocated that the assemblyman for Akateng should continue to manage the fuel since with him they could get it at the approved price of GH¢ 5.50.

The National Inland Fisheries Committee in Accra stopped supplying the fuel to the Akateng LBC.

As a result, some LBCs allegedly took advantage of that and started selling the fuel to the area at exorbitant prices. The situation, therefore, aroused tension at Akateng.

According to Mr. Angmor, the DISEC had petitioned the National Inland Fisheries Committee to start the supply of the premix fuel to the new LBC.

“We are only waiting for their feedback, and I am sure it would be positive, Akateng LBC will soon get the supply of the premix fuel and business will flow peacefully,” he said.