The inauguration ceremony of eight premix committees for some landing beaches in the Shama district was yesterday suspended due to some objections raised about some names on the inaugural list.

An awkward encounter ensued between some fisher folks and members in the new list provided by the DCE. The argument was about some names of some people, they claimed, have no knowledge about fishing and its related activities whose names were seen on the list. The aggrieved fishermen who were against the inauguration accused the DCE Joseph Amoah and the Member of Parliament for Shama of manipulating the premix committees list.

Some chief fishermen who were angry said a scrutiny of the list revealed that most of the names on the list are carpenters, masons, shop attendants, security personnel, teachers and other people whose activities have no relations with fishing activities. The fishermen again accused the DCE and MP of ignoring the LI which regulate the selection of members of the premix committee and including their cronies who and people who supported them in their political pursuits.


The ceremony which was supposed to be a calm one became a charged one at the premises of the Shama District Assembly Hall as hordes of police personnel wielding truncheons and guns who according to sources were invited by the DCE were seen patrolling the entrance. Even journalists from GBC, SKYY,CITI FM,RADIO SHAMA AND RADIO 360 were denied entry into the assembly hall due to reasons best known to the organizer.

All fishermen including those who had participated in the earlier failed inaugural ceremonies were all denied entry because according to the organizers had no accreditation. They complained bitterly because according to them, the request for accreditation has never happened before at the inauguration of such committees. They accused the authorities of foul play that is why they denied the media entry to cover the program.

Addressing some fisher folks who were supposed to be inaugurated, after the postponement, the DCE for Shama Joseph Amoah said the assembly who is mandated to select members of the committees did the right thing. He assured them that they will definitely be inaugurated in due time.

He accused the National Chairman of the National Premix Committee Nii Lantey Bannerman of cancelling some of the names on the list they gave him.an allegation Mr. Bannerman denied later in an interview with Skyy FM. He said what happened was that while he was mentioning out the names on the list given to him by the DCE,, one of the Chief Fishermen rose and objected to some of the names.

According to the Chief Fisherman some of the names he mentioned were not fisher folks and therefore the committee was in violation of the LI. So he asked him to point them out and they did .Mr. Bannerman said he could not inaugurate the committee because it will be in violation of the LI.

Eight premix committees selected by the DCE were supposed to be inaugurated for Shama, Aminano, Abuesi and Aboadze.

According to the LI which regulate the formation of the committee, each committee will have seven members each, the chief fisherman, a representative from the canoe owners association, fish mongers association, ministry of food and agriculture, the district assembly and two pump attendants.