E. K. Agbona, Tema
27 March 2003
opinion
WITH THE current raging global petroleum crisis, may I suggest to the NPP government with the able leadership of President J.A. Kufuor, to now come out boldly and hold the bull by the horn and tackle the oil exploration and drilling without further delay, to at least procure our domestic use. Come to think of the enormous trillions Ghana spends yearly, can't this do for exploration and drilling? From 1970 to date, couldn't we have been self sufficient, since the oils there are crying for drilling? Mr. President, please start now. It is long overdue. We can't wait any longer.
Please, also make a legislation punishable by law, that henceforth any filling station caught in the act of refusing to sell (in anticipation of increases) should be closed down indefinitely and charged with treasonable felony, sabotage and an enemy of the state.
The crude oil is being imported with the taxpayer's money. This has become their habit, and must be stopped now. They are equally guilty as fuel smugglers, armed robbers.Furthermore, please advise our only TOR that henceforth, they should supply Ghanaians via the news and print media on number of tanker trucks dispatched within a week, month for easy monitoring by our security agencies.
I wish also to suggest that you close down all filling stations along our country's borders within 12 miles, as was in the SMC days, to stem the tide of fuel smuggling. Smuggling of our products has been going on along all our country's borders with the connivance of the security agencies, it is open and brisk business along the beaches from 9.00 p.m. Even our locally produced rice from Afife is not left out.
Railways: - to ease the perennial transportation problems now facing the country, I would also like the government to start with immediate effect to reactivate all our rail lines, extend and construct new ones all over the country as some of us have seen that no number of buses the government orders can solve these problems, considering our demand and the current population.
The Accra-Tema-Akosombo lines should be given priority, as was done by the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, bearing in mind that buses can be easily written off the road in case of road accidents, but trains hardly get involved in accidents. There is also comfort in rail travel and safety as well.
The fuel purchases of foreign articulated trucks should also be seriously checked. It is an easy way of smuggle, or else we sell to them at the price they buy from their country. This will discourage them.
Meanwhile, please make efforts to repair all broken down OSA buses and add them to the new buses, to increase the fleet and merge the two companies for effective administration.
The No. 10k buses to Ashaiman route should be increased to 15 and Tema, 10. Please remember that oil is the backbone of politics, an economy, and the power of any nation of the world. It also is the backbone of international politics and the "Black gold".
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