Stop the Petrol Politics Now!

ON Thursday, October 23, 2009, President John Evans Atta Mills visited the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

OVER there, the President gave the assurance that his government was working around the clock to ensure that it provides TOR with the much needed crude oil to enhance its operations. This news item stirred a lot of public discourse.

THE country heaved a sigh of relief when it was announced in the next few days that Ghana had secured a deal from Sahara oil to supply TOR with crude oil.

IT is obvious from what we have witnessed so far that the country's crude oil situation is far from over. And what really is the problem we are all kept in the dark.

For some time now, the country has been hit by intermittent fuel shortages. There have been situations where many fuel stations have been without petroleum products for a week or two. That has not been good at all for all of us.

WE are all aware of the many effects anytime there are fuel shortages in the country. General prices of goods and services astronomically shoot up. This becomes even more worrying in the transport sector as drivers compellingly increase their fares in a bid to break even. That is the stark reality on the ground.

RECENTLY, we published a front page story where we reported some fuel stations were selling a gallon of petrol for GHC (6.50 65,000.00 old Ghana cedis). According to that story with the banner headline “MILLS, PETROL NOW SELLS AT GHC6.50”, we reported that some fuel stations in parts of the country were exploiting the inadequate fuel shortage to enrich themselves.

IT is looking more of a situation where the Mills led administration is bereft of ideas regarding how to get us from our crude oil predicament. This is seen the light of the fact that the government keeps on promising us of adequate fuel, but day-in-and-day-in-out we have been hit by fuel shortages.

WE believe that the sooner the country's fuel problem is solved the better it will be for all of us. After all the state loses if workers cannot have means of transport to go to their various work places.

WE hope that the President will make good on his assurance to enable the country have adequate crude oil which plays an instrumental role in our daily lives.