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The Cape Coast Landing Beach Committee has accused the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Kwamena Duncan, of causing the shortage of premix fuel in the Cape Coast Metropolis for a little over a month now.

According to the aggrieved committee members, there has been a misunderstanding between their Regional Minister and the National Premix Fuel Secretariat over which account number the proceeds from the sale of the commodity be paid into.

This was made known at a press conference addressed by Mr. Ishmael Sam Aggrey, an Executive Member of the Premix Committee, in Cape Coast yesterday, Mr. Sam Aggrey stated that the decision of both the Minister and the National Premix Fuel Secretariat (NPFS) to issue them with different account numbers had contributed to the shortage of the product in the region.

Throwing more light on the issue, Mr. Sam Aggrey said, when the Landing Beach Committee (LBCs) were dissolved, the NPFS put in place an Interim Management Committee, pending the formation of a new permanent committee.

According to Mr. Aggrey, the NPFS instructed all the LBCs to pay the proceeds from the sale of their allocated fuel into the Kakum Rural Bank, into account name: Central Regional Premix Secretariat, Acc. No. 209120000699491 in Cape Coast and Elmina.

He added that the instruction was duly observed by all the landing beaches committees throughout the Central Region until a permanent committee was formed, sworn in, and inaugurated.

The NPFS chairman mention that proceeds of the commodity must be paid into Account Name; Bank, Cape Coast, A/C No. 0201900210019," he pointed out.

Mr. Sam Aggrey alleged that "instructions came form the Central Region Minister, Kwamina Duncan, that no LBC should dare pay any amount into the said Presidential Account, other than the Kakum Bank Account.

He further alleged that the proceeds had been paid into the kakum bank account, as instructed by the Regional Minister up to date, but to their uttermost surprise, the supply of the commodity had ceased, despite the fact that they were entering the peak period of their occupation.

According to Mr. Aggrey, an official letter was subsequently sent to the Regional Minister and copied the Director of Fisheries and the Mayor of Cape Coast, but no concrete decision had been taken on the issue.

He, therefore, called on the Regional Minister to render accounts to all the LBCs, starting from the period of the interim management committee to the present one. When contacted, Mr. Kwamina Duncan flatly denied all the allegations, saying they were founded.

He said, a planned meeting between all the Landing Beach Committees and the respective chief executives in their jurisdictions had been scheduled for today (Friday) to come out with modalities for the opening of separate account for each premix outlet in the region.

He pointed out that monies accrued from the sale of the premix fuel were always paid back to the companies that supplied the commodity.

This, he said, was always done directly by the committees, without the involvement of the Regional Minister.

He explained that the monies paid into the said account were not meant for any individuals expenses, but for the development of the various communities within the jurisdiction of the various committees.

In view of this, he said, the MMDCEs, who were the political lords, were to be deeply involved and actually tasked to supervise the activities of the various committees.

This, he said, was to ensure that some corrupt practices that characterized the activities of some of the premix committees in the past were curbed.