DANIEL Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East Constituency, is demanding the whereabouts of a $58.3million World Bank fund given to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MoFA) for the Tema Fishing Harbour facelift project.
According to him, the money meant to rehabilitate the Tema Boatyard at the fishing harbour to create adequate space for the rehabilitation of worn-out boats as well as for the construction of fibre glass boats which are safer than the current ones in use, is nowhere to be found.
“The fund is also to assist the ministry to purchase research vessels which would be used to locate fishes to halt the current situation where fisher folks comb various depths of the sea without catching a single fish, plunging them into huge fuel and other logistical costs,” he stated.
Mr. Titus Glover questioned the whereabouts of the money when he joined Tema New Town residents to celebrate the Kpelejo festival.
He expressed worry about the delay in putting the yard in order while the fishermen continually suffer in search of fish and return home with empty boats. This, he said makes it difficult for the fishermen to take care of their families, particularly their children’s school needs.
According to the MP, several attempts to bring the issue of the fund given to the sector ministry to the floor of parliament were disallowed but assured the fishermen of his continuous fight to ensure the money is located and used for its intended purpose.
He was of the view that most of the youth in the area may engage in criminal acts such as armed robbery and stealing if the main occupation of the people in the area which is fishing, is taken away from them.
Mr Glover, however, implored fishermen in the area to desist from illegal methods of fishing such as light fishing which depletes the fish stock and also drive the fish away from the country’s territorial waters.
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