New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Efutu Constituency in the Central Region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has lashed out at government saying it has failed to deliver on its numerous promises to improve the activities of fisher folk in the country.
Speaking to Citi News, Afenyo-Markin argued that “I think it’s not about government not showing seriousness but government has failed fishermen because there are certain reliefs that fishermen were enjoying prior to the coming in into office of this government in 2009.”
The MP’s comment follows claims by the Central Regional Chairman of the incumbent National Democratic Congress, Allotey Jacobs, that he had deliberately organised fishermen at Winneba to criticize government over non-existent problems to score cheap political points.
Mr. Allotey Jacob’s allegations on Eyewitness News, was premised on the fact that some fishermen at Winneba just like others in the Western and Volta and Greater Accra Regions, have recently complained about dwindling fish stock.
According to the fisher folk, the government had made several promises to improve their livelihood, yet not much of the promises have been fulfilled. In the Volta Region for instance which is the NDC’s stronghold, angry fisher folk have vowed to vote against the party in the November polls if it fails to honour the promises made to them.
The fisher folk have largely mentioned illegal fishing methods, lack of landing sites, inadequate supply of premix fuel, high cost of fishing materials, depleting fish stock and inadequate storage facilities as some of the challenges they are faced with.
Lean season to blame for fishermen’s low catch
But Mr. Allotey Jacobs, has denied the claims by fisher folk particularly in some parts of the Central Region, saying the low catch around this time of the year, is only natural because it’s a lean season.
His claim has been contested some fishermen who say even the bumper harvest season has seen a massive reduction of fish in recent times.
President Mahama during an interaction with fisher folk in the Western Region recently, promised to subsidize the prices of outboard motors for fishermen as well as ensure the constant supply of premix fuel.
Outboard motor subsidy a political talk – Markin
But Afenyo-Markin insisted that during the NPP regime, fisher folk were enjoying credit sales with respect to the sale of outboard motors but “when this government came into office, this facility was cancelled and the cash and carry was reintroduced.”
“It was only last week that Mr. President went to Shama and the fishermen were complaining bitterly then he comes out with this political talk that they were now going to reintroduce the credit sales and government was going to take 30% and that was far from the truth; because the reality is that; the fishermen were enjoying this previously and they denied them this relief for 8 years.
Immediately you realize that there are just few months to elections, you go and say that we want to reintroduce the credit sales system and we are going to take 30 percent.
The government should take the people very serious,” he added. On allegations that he had organised fisher folk at Winneba against the government, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said suggestions by Mr. Allotey Jacobs that government had done its best in fixing challenges in the sector is “erroneous.”
“I’ve been complaining about the irregularity in the supply and distribution of premix fuel, the corruption therein and all that and I made certain appeals to the various authorities, I think the fisheries commission assured me that they are going to resolve that matter.
“As we speak, the project hasn’t been completed so it is very erroneous for him to say that there is abundant supply of premix, that is not the truth,” he added.
Source: citifmonline.com
